


The Last Laugh

by Kamari333



Series: Ebott is a Multiverse [1]
Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Underswap, Amusement Park Episode, Beach Episode, F/F, Flirting, Fluff, Hospitalization, M/M, PTSD, Soul Sex, Suicide, Suicide Attempt, cuteness
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-07
Updated: 2017-07-17
Packaged: 2018-11-28 10:37:03
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 5
Words: 26,484
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11416155
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kamari333/pseuds/Kamari333
Summary: Blue never expected his first patient to be quite so upbeat and full of jokes, especially when his clipboard was telling him that this patient was on suicide watch.~ As Prompted by CrushingOnSanshere





	1. Shades of Blue

**Author's Note:**

  * For [CrushingOnSans](https://archiveofourown.org/users/CrushingOnSans/gifts).



> Here you go, sempai. Enjoy this awful awful attempt at literature.
> 
> My first work based on a prompt! I hope I did alright...
> 
> NOTE:  
> Blue = Underswap Sans  
> Comic = Undertale Sans

This was it. This was what Blue wanted to do with his life. He wanted to help people, he wanted to make a difference in the world, one smile at a time. He wanted to right some of the wrongs the world had deigned to allow to occur.

He wanted to be a nurse.

And today, after so long in medical school, after all the blood, sweat, and tears he had put into his studies, he was finally qualified.

He had his dream job.

And his first patient.

Blue could barely contain his joy as he opened the door. "HELLO!" He said in his most cheerful voice. "I'M BLUE! AND I'LL BE TENDING TO YOU TODAY!"

The figure on the bed, who had been facing the window on the opposite wall, rolled their head over to look at Blue. It was a skeleton monster, with dark stains under his eye sockets and a lazy grin. He had one of his legs elevated in a sling that hung from the ceiling. "heh. gotta give ya credit for your _hospital_ ity."

Blue stopped, blinking at the patient. He wasn't surprised about him being a skeleton (after all, Blue was a skeleton monster himself). What had caught him off guard was the pun. Blue was used to hearing puns (his brother was always making them), so much so that he had even began picking out the unintentional ones that occasionally popped up in everyday conversation. However, the stress that had been placed on the words in question made it clear that these were quite intentional.

The guy chuckled, as much at Blue's expression as at his own joke, his grin spreading wider across his face. "names comic. nice to meet ya."

"IT IS NICE TO MEET YOU TOO!" Blue agreed, returning his megawatt smile to his face as he stepped up to the bed. He picked up the clipboard to get his bearings on the situation. "NOW, IT SAYS HERE THAT YOU BROKE YOUR LEG?"

"thats no _fibula_."

"IT MUST HAVE HURT!"

"the pain was _crippling_."

"HOW ARE YOU FEELING RIGHT NOW?"

" _question_ able. i don't have a _leg_ to _stand_ on after all."

Blue felt his shoulders start to shake, breathy snickers trying to escape through his teeth. He schooled his face. "LET'S BE SERIOUS, NOW!" He said, looking up from the clipboard to examine his patient up close.

The first thing he noticed were the handcuffs. Comic had both his arms strapped to the railings of the hospital bed with thick, padded leather cuffs. Furthermore, the leg which was not broken had a thick metal band clasped around the ankle, which Blue recognized as a magic suppressor. A device like that would only hinder the healing process of a monster like Comic, whose physicality depended on his magic! Blue looked back down at the clipboard, searching for some sort of explanation. He flipped to the other pages, scanning quickly, his smile gradating to a concerned frown.

_Suicide Watch_

\-------

Blue was assigned a good dozen patients, but he found he paid extra attention to Comic. So much so that he even picked up extra hours, just so he would be on shift to do his regular check-ins. Comic had to be looked in on every 4 hours, for safety, and Blue did his damnedest to be assigned to every one of them. He couldn't for the life of him understand why. Perhaps it was the way Comic greeted him, with his lazy smile and intelligent sparkle in his eyes. Perhaps it was because deep down Blue liked hearing all his awful puns.

_Perhaps it was because of that first day._

It was during the second of these regular check-ins, while Blue was feeding him lunch, that Comic asked it for the first time, that question that seemed so innocent at first, but Blue soon came to loathe.

"what day is today?"

"TODAY?" Blue thought quickly as he spooned in another bit of oatmeal into Comic's mouth. "THURSDAY!"

Comic's swallowed, shaking slightly, his eye lights darting to Blue's face. "the date?"

"THE 4TH OF XX. WHY?"

"what time is it?" Comic asked, his voice slightly higher, insistent.

Blue checked his watch. "TWO THIRTY-..." He paused. "-TWO! PM! WHY?"

Comic sighed in relief, his body relaxing as his gaze drifted to the ceiling. "no reason."

Blue eyed him, letting the spoon settle in the bowl that Comic had dutifully emptied. "COMIC, I KNOW IT IS NOT MY PLACE TO SAY, BUT, IF YOU NEED SOMEONE TO TALK TO, I WOULD BE HAPPY TO LISTEN. I AM A VERY GOOD LISTENER, YOU KNOW!"

Comic's grin turned up a little more, the glow in his eye lights brightening. "thanks, bud. i'll keep that in mind."

Blue heard that question again, later that day, during the fourth check-in he had with Comic.

Blue was tired. He had been on his feet all day, running up and down the many stairwells, fetching one thing or another for patients that were not his, yet seemed to feel exceedingly entitled to his attention, between doing his actual responsibilities. He was learning very quickly which coworkers could be relied on, and which ones could most often be found kissing their S/O in the break room with their pagers turned off _like this wasn't a hospital and people didn't need help oh no Rick just go make out with your girlfriend while the poor guy in room 212 has a fucking seizure!_ Blue had never experienced this level of irritation before, and he had found it increasingly difficult to maintain his smile.

So when he stepped into the dark room where Comic was, his reflexes gave out on him at the sight he was presented.

Comic was thrashing on the bed, bright blue streams of glowing magic dripping from his closed eye sockets, brightening the darkened room like some kind of horrific night lights. A whimper escaped into the sterile hospital air, gut retching sobs shaking Comic's small frame so violently Blue worried he would break his wrists in the cuffs.

Blue shook himself out of his stupor, smashing the light switch on hard and fast before running over to Comic's side. He put his hands gently on each of Comic's shoulders pinning him down. "WAKE UP!" He said firmly, trying to keep his own panic out of his voice. "UH, COMIC? COMIC, WAKE UP! IT'S JUST A DREAM! IT ISN'T REAL!!" Blue didn't know what else to say (this wasn't part of his training!) so he just kept repeating the words that had always worked when his own brother had nightmares.

After a few more attempts, Comic's eyes shot open, a little of the glowing tears flying into the air. He lay there, his bones rattling loud enough to hurt Blue's ears, the bed shaking with the force of the motion. Comic took deep shuddering breaths, an action Blue knew he didn't need for anything but comfort. Blue carefully removed his hands from his shoulders, willing his own SOUL to stop pounding.

After a moment, Comic finally spoke. "w-what day is t-today?" His voice shook, the tears still streaming down his face and leaving discolored stains on his pillow.

"THURSDAY, THE 4TH." Blue answered.

"what t-time?"

"ABOUT 10 PM."

Comic spasmed in what Blue knew was the skeletal equivalent of a hiccup. "could you s-say it again? please..?"

Blue felt his insides twist. That was the voice of someone asking him to make the pain go away. Blue had heard it plenty of times that day. He had just never heard it used so desperately before, as though afraid the plea would be ignored.

"IT IS THURSDAY THE 4TH, AROUND 10 PM."

"again..?"

"THURSDAY THE 4TH, 10 PM."

"...once more, please..?"

"THURSDAY THE 4TH, 10 PM."

Comic's breathing began to slow, evening out as his shaking faded to nothing. With each utterance of the seemingly innocuous fact, his body relaxed, his crying dwindled, the pain on his face replaced with exhaustion and tentative relief.

"thank you... blue, was it?" Comic's voice was steady now, only the shadow of a tremor left from his recent hysteria.

"YOU'RE MOST WELCOME." Blue replied, getting a few tissues. He carefully cleaned up Comic's face, dabbing gently at the liquid. Comic, leaned into the touch, seemingly without thinking about it, desperate for some kind of contact. The gentle pressure made Blue's insides tighten. He had never seen someone so... broken, before. He felt his usual smile, which had already been under strain, fall away. "IS THERE SOMEONE YOU WANT ME TO CALL? FAMILY? FRIENDS? MAYBE YOUR DOCTOR..?" Blue wasn't certain what the protocol for this was, but it seemed wrong to just leave Comic alone after something so traumatic looking.

"no! no, uh," Comic closed his eyes, seemingly thinking about something. "look, i'mma level with ya. i only got one friend, who is crazy busy, and we aren't so close i'd expect... well, midnight hospital visits. and my family... i only got my bro, and he doesn't know i'm here. he's off training, out of town, and i don't wanna worry him." Comic put on a strained smile, one that didn't reach the eyes which were still damp with cyan magic. "and i ain't got a doc like you're thinking. can't afford one. insurance won't cover that kinda thing, ya know? heh." He looked at his leg, still hanging in the sling. "but it sure goes out on a _limb_ for this stuff. told them e.r. guys five times i couldn't pay 'em a dime, but they stuck me in here anyway."

Blue took a deep breath of his own. "THEN I WILL JUST HAVE TO SIT WITH YOU FOR A WHILE." He announced to himself as much as Comic. He then pulled up the visitors chair and made himself comfortable. He rested his hands on the railing of the bed, near where Comic's were tied. Comic hooked a finger around one of Blue's without thinking about it.

Comic blinked. "don't go outa your way for me, kid... hate to get ya in trouble. sure you got lots of other things to do besides watch _dust settle_." He snickered. Blue gave him a horrified look. "okay, maybe that one was a bit morbid."

"QUITE MORBID! THIS IS NOT A CASINO!" Blue found himself saying.

Comic snorted out a laugh, deep and clear and genuine.

Blue felt his SOUL skip in his ribcage, a gentle warmth rushing through his marrow.

Perhaps it was then that he decided to always be there for Comic.

\-------

Comic's leg took 6 weeks to heal.

Through it all, Blue made certain he was there for every one of his regular check-ins. Every day, Comic would ask for the day, date, and time. And every day, Blue would see the anxiety in his eyes flair until Blue answered him. Then there would be a flash of relief, and Comic's body would relax, and then he would dive right into light conversation, speckled with puns and jokes.

After the first week, Blue took his meager savings and made a purchase at a the local shops: a sophisticated clock that kept track of not only the time, but the day, week, month, and year, the large display a clean bright green glow on a black background. He brought it in and ' _accidentally left_ ' it in the room, on a shelf within Comic's line of sight. It's against protocol to buy gifts for patients, but this wasn't a gift, oh no. This was a _personal investment_ , and he just _happened_ to forget it in Comic's room.

Comic quit asking about the time.

But his nightmares. His nightmares remained.

Blue came in every night, and every night he found Comic wreathing in his bed. Sometimes he could just make out a few words: 'Pap,' 'No,' 'Stop,' words that made Blue's chest ache and eyes burn. The first few times, Blue maintained his professional decorum. However, he eventually couldn't stand it anymore, and started giving Comic hugs to help calm him down, whispering the date and time soothingly against his skull. Blue didn't know why that helped, but it did, calming Comic's shaking and quieting his sobs faster than anything else he could think of. So he did it. He did it over and over until Comic said the first joke of that visit, and the light returned to his smile. Then Blue would pull away, and clean up Comic's face, and engage him in pleasant (usually pun-filled) conversation until Comic fell back asleep.

And then (sometimes) Blue would take the midnight bus home.

And he would listen to his brother's passive-aggressive remarks about the late hours, and the extra shifts, and the fact that Blue hadn't been home to sleep in his own bed _in three days_ , all with worry practically oozing from his face. Of course, Blue would brush it off, smiling and saying how he was strong and didn't need as much sleep as a lazybones like him. Blue never mentioned that he had begun power napping between jobs, using the roof and the break-room and sometimes a broom-closet (because if he was going to be this small he was going to make the most of it!) to curl up and catch a few hours here and there.

And Blue would see that his brother was not satisfied with his reassurances, but he would sigh, and pull Blue into his warm embrace, and whisper words of brotherly affection before pulling away and going to bed himself. Then Blue would get those few hours sleep he allowed himself before starting the cycle all over again. It pained him to take that time to sleep, because it meant missing one of the shifts to check in on Comic. But Blue had to do it, he knew that.

However, that didn't stop him from rushing to catch the first bus back to work, his eye lights dancing at the prospect of seeing him again. Blue power walked down the hall, jumping up stairs two or three at a time, until he got to Comic's room and threw the door open. And then he would see that lazy smile, and those bright eyes, and hear that deep gentle voice, and all of Blue's weariness would melt away, leaving nothing but genuine delight.

Delight which lasted him through each shift until he was allowed to walk through that door again.

\-------

Despite Comic's protests, the hospital provided a psychologist. Blue, as his primary caregiver at the time, was given a front row seat to the one and only session before he was discharged, which occurred during the 5th week of his stay. The psychologist was human, old and greying, wrinkles deep and telling on his face.

"So, your name is Comic?" The psychologist asked.

" _funny_ enough, yeah," Comic answered, smiling. He always smiled.

"Do you know why you're here?"

"because someone _put their foot down_ ," Comic said, sounding smug and innocent all at the same time, that amused sparkle in his eyes. He wiggled the leg still in the sling. "and i can't exactly carry my own weight right now, so..."

"How have you been feeling lately?"

"its a _tie_ between boredom and contentment."

The psychologist raised an eyebrow. "You're content?"

Comic shrugged. "i haven't had any ketchup in a while, but other than that, this isn't much different than being home. well," he snickered, shaking his wrists just enough to rattle the chains, "maybe a little more _hands off_ , but i can't complain. blue here's good at his job."

Blue felt himself flush with the compliment.

The psychologist eyed him, clicking his tongue thoughtfully as he made notes. "Alright. How about we talk about the other night? When you hurt your leg."

"okay. what do you remember?" Comic asked, teasing.

Blue rolled his eye lights. The psychologist looked like he wanted to do the same. "What happened that night?"

Comic looked up at the ceiling. "guess my watch broke."

"And?" The psychologist looked at him.

"thats it."

"You jumped off a bridge because your watch broke?"

Blue bristled. _He jumped off a **bridge**?!_ Blue had never asked about the circumstances that had brought Comic to the hospital. He didn't think it was his place to ask. All he needed to know had been written on the clipboard, and Comic didn't have to tell him anything he wasn't comfortable to say.

Comic shrugged, making a noncommittal noise. "never said anything about a bridge. or jumping."

"Then how did you break your leg?" The psychologist asked, earnestly.

"dunno. last thing i remember before waking up here was checking my watch." Comic's voice was light, even, but something about it made Blue pause. The delivery was different than he was used to. Blue didn't think he was lying, exactly, but Blue liked to think he was particularly good at reading people, and what he read from Comic told him there was more than he was saying.

Blue listened to the rest of the session, which lasted a few hours, but he didn't pay as much attention. He focused more on Comic's expressions. They were light, easy, relaxed, but the light in his smile, the vibrance that Blue was so used to, was missing. It was clear to Blue that Comic was putting on a show, of sorts.

But at the end of the session, the psychologist stood up and left without more than a word of farwell.

And the next day both the cuffs and the magic suppressor were removed.

\-------

Blue watched as Comic took his first steps in weeks, testing the leg that had been broken over a month ago. Comic's eyebrow ridges were furrowed in discomfort. His magic didn't seem to want to obey him, to support his weight. Blue could see the faint shimmer of magic around the bones, where he was focusing a little harder than he should have had to. His legs moved, and he kept his balance. 

"ARE YOU SURE YOU DON'T WANT TO STAY A FEW MORE DAYS? YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE AN OUTPATIENT FOR YOUR PHYSICAL THERAPY..."

Comic chuckled. "naw. i gotta get home. gotta feed my pet rock. it's probably starving."

Blue felt a flutter in his chest. "WELL, IF YOU'RE SURE." He turned around and got the wheelchair. "BUT EVEN IF YOU INSIST ON LEAVING NOW, YOU STILL HAVE TO RIDE THE CHAIR!"

Comic looked at the wheelchair with obvious distain. Blue giggled. Comic's smile returned. "welp," he said, taking the two steps to close the distance and sinking into the chair, "to the exit, chair slave!" he exclaimed, waving one hand dramatically in the air, indicating the door with a flourish.

Blue giggled harder, gipping the handles of the chair as much for his own support as anything. He took his time, leisurely pushing Comic through the halls. Occasionally his eyes would train down to him. He looked so much better in his own clothes, the light blue jacket and track shorts making him seem more like himself than the hospital gown he had been wearing before. It just... fit him. It felt right, seeing him dressed like that. Just like it felt right seeing his brother in his orange hoody.

Blue felt a dull ache in his chest. He was probably never going to get to see Comic again. His feet slowed, and it was a struggle to maintain his smile, but Blue managed.

They entered the elevator, the cheep bell music playing quietly.

"hey. uh..." Comic broke the silence that was more awkward than companionable. "as of today, i ain't your patient anymore, right?"

"THAT IS CORRECT..." Blue answered, softer than usual. He felt his SOUL twist, unsure of how to feel about that. On the one hand, it meant that Blue had done his job, and done it well. His patient, his first ever patient, was now better, both mentally and physically, and taking his life back into his hands.

On the other, it meant he would not be seeing Comic anymore. And the idea of never seeing him again... left him feeling empty.

Which was strange. Because Blue by this point had seen dozens of patients come and go. And none of them had made him feel that way.

"well... if thats the case..." Comic scratched at his maxilla, shifting his skull to one side. Blue wished he was in a position to see his face. "is it alright to ask... when you get off?"

Blue felt his face light up. Did he hear that right? Did he _interperate_ that right?! Did Comic really want to- want to- maybe-?! Blue had been certain that his feeling had been one sided, that Comic had only been being friendly, and kind, and sweet, and funny, because that was just the kind of guy he was, and that Blue just let himself get attached because he was a sentimental fool who had a thing for big beautiful smiles and bright eyes and-

"heh, guess after seeing me like that, it takes all the fun out of it, huh? didn't mean to make you uncomfortable. just forge-"

"YES-I-GET-OFF-AT-8-WHERE-SHOULD-WE-MEET?!?!?!?!??!??!?!?" Blue blurted so fast some of the words smashed together, his volume (which was loud by normal standards) shooting up three clicks.

Comic was quiet for a moment, then silky chuckles erupted from him. Blue thought he saw a soft blue glow, but he couldn't be sure. "ya ever heard of Grillby's?"

Blue smiled. "SURE! MY BROTHER GOES THERE SOMETIMES WHEN MUFFET'S IS CLOSED!!"

"can i meet ya there? tonight?"

"CERTAINLY!!"

Blue felt his SOUL dancing back and forth in his ribs. He hadn't felt this happy in a long time.

The elevator door opened. And Blue pushed Comic out into the sun.

He couldn't wait for nightfall.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have more I want to do with this, but I wanted to get this part out.


	2. Stargazing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Blue and Comic deepen their relationship.  
> Blue's bro is introduced.

Comic sat at the bar, piecing off a bottle of ketchup. _Stars_ was it delicious! After spending over a month in that hospital, cut off from all the good food in the world, having a bottle of delicious tomato paste made him feel more like himself again than anything else.

Not that his stay had been bad, exactly...

He thought back to that day, over a month ago, when it all began:

Comic had been walking home, drunk off his ass. Usually Comic would have called his brother to come pick him up, but since his bro had recently left to go train for a position in law enforcement, that wasn't an option. So when Grillby's bar closed at midnight, Comic had set out to make his way home, alone. Considering how shitfaced he actually was, he had done pretty well for himself, staying on the sidewalk (as opposed to walking in the middle of the street), only tripping over his own shoelaces thrice. He was crossing the bridge that separated his crummy neighborhood from the shopping district when he tripped for the third time. Comic remembered giggling like an idiot, feeling a strange giddy rush from his body's sluggish attempt at adrenalin in response to almost cracking his skull open. He tried pushing himself up, his vision fading in and out of focus...

Then he saw his watch.

**[ 10:47 ]**

But Grillby's had closed at 12.

**Comic had left Grillby's at 12.**

Panic engulfing him so utterly that he couldn't see anything but red splattered on gold tiles, hear anything except a child's laughter, feel anything but the grainy texture of dust between his fingers that just _would not go away get it off Get It Off no no No NO IT WAS EVERYWHERE THE DUST WAS EVERYWHERE NO NO NO **HE WOULD RATHER DIE** THAN GO BACK **HE WOULD RATHER DIE** THAN WATCH IT HAPPEN AGAIN AND AGAIN **AND AGAIN AND AGAIN AND** -_

And the next thing Comic knew, he had woken up in a strange bed, pinned down like an insect on display, complete with human onlookers in bright white labcoats that made him uneasy. At first, he had fought against his bindings, only half listening to the doctor explain that yes, he was in a hospital, and yes, he was on suicide watch because, yes, someone had seen him fling himself off the side of a bridge, screaming about how he would 'rather die'.

Comic had supposed he should have been happy, but he couldn't bring himself to be. He knew it would just happen again, it was only a matter of time until it all RESET, and he started reliving the same days over and over and over again. He was only thankful that at some point he had lost his cell phone (turns out he had left it at Grillby's again, so he had it back now), so they couldn't call any of his contacts and worry them with his nonsense. He had worked hard not to burden anyone else with his problems (although a part of him knew his drinking was still causing trouble for his brother, he couldn't bring himself to give up a vice that let him forget his own troubles).

So Comic had laid back, accepting his fate of being interred in that prison of sterile air and bad food and fake optimism that was executed so poorly it made him want to scream. Hospitals made him realize how good he was at faking a good smile, because everyone who came into his room and looked at his chart was just so awful at it.

At least they were, until _he_ showed up.

It had been Comic's third or fourth day in that dull place. He had come to accept his predicament, no longer bothering to try and undo his bindings (even though at this point he had a bitch of an itch on his coccyx and it was driving him mad). He had begun passing the time he couldn't through his numerous naps by looking out the window and trying to calculate the time by the angle of the shadows (why the hell wasn't there a clock in his room?!), when he heard a loud, enthusiastic voice from the doorway of his room.

"HELLO! I'M BLUE! AND I'LL BE TENDING TO YOU TODAY!"

So Comic turned his head, his response to the friendly greeting already rolling off his tongue. "heh. gotta give ya credit for your _hospital_ ity." And it was a good thing too, or he would have choked on his words. Because he was brought face with _stars_ , literal _stars_ , five pointed pulsating baby blue _stars_ in the eye sockets of the most adorable little skeleton he had ever had the pleasure of coming into contact with. He felt like he was falling into the night sky, rushing upwards to come face-to-face with little pieces of what humans called heaven.

And then the guy _laughed_ , and Comic could tell he didn't _want_ to laugh, it was a laugh his joke had stolen from him, without his consent. None of those pathetic pity laughs here! It was real. And it made Comic chuckle back, because despite the brevity of it, it was infectious.

And sure, Blue's smile had fallen like a rock when he read Comic's chart, and those stars had shrunk to tiny white pinpricks, but he had bounced right back at Comic's next joke. And his smile was so _real_ , so _genuine_ , so _natural_! It was refreshing, so much so that Blue's visits made Comic's stay practically a pleasure.

And now, _now_ , that starry eyed angel was coming to see him. That sweet adorable gentle soul, who had brought him out of his nightmares every night for the past 6 weeks, who had wiped his tears and calmed his shaking with gentle touches and an even gentler voice, who had indulged his obsession with the date and time nearly without question, even going so far as to provide him a clock out of his own money (like hell a machine like the one he found that second week was standard hospital issue!), who had patiently cared for his needs while he was a prisoner as well as an invalid, _that man_ was coming to see him. Tonight. Of his own accord. Nothing to do with his work.

He was coming just to see Comic.

Maybe thats why the ketchup tasted so good tonight.

Comic flipped his phone open, to look at the time. He realized Grillby had turned it off to save the batteries. He turned it back on, waiting patiently for the device to awaken from its month long slumber. Then he was assaulted with notifications! His brother's missed texts and calls stretched up and down the screen. They started out innocently enough, asking how his day was and telling little stories about his brother's own adventures. However, they became progressively more worried and upset: 'Are you alright?' 'Why are you not responding?' 'Are you angry with me?' 'Did I do/say something wrong?' 'Seriously are you alright?' 'Please call me back!' and other messages of that nature. Comic felt the sting of guilt as he read through them all. He sent his brother a text message, making the excuse that he had lost his phone and only just now found it, apologizing for worrying him. He sent a selfie of himself smiling his best most cheerful smile (something that wasn't hard to do since it had been stuck on his face all day) to better reassure him, promising to do better about communicating in the future. He almost immediately got a response in all capitals expressing such genuine relief that he had to laugh. That was his brother. He wasn't even mad, although by all rights he could have been. Comic knew he himself would have been screaming if his bro had dropped contact with _him_ for a month! But his bro was so cool, so of course he would handle it better. Then he got a passive aggressive message about Grilly's bar being an unhealthy choice for dinner, which prompted another laugh. His bro would never change.

About then Comic looked at the time. 8:07. Blue said he got off at 8, so he should be leaving work right about now. Comic put the now empty ketchup bottle down and waved Grillby over for another. The fire elemental slid it across the bar top, Comic catching it before it flew over the edge. It was an exchange the two of them had perfected a long time ago. He picked it up, waving a thanks to his old friend before starting into it.

It wouldn't be long now.

At 8:36, the bell signaling the arrival of a new customer rang. Comic turned. And was again greeted to stars; beautiful, bright blue, five pointed stars that made the glow of Comic's favorite bartender look pale and unassuming. Blue was wearing a soft white cardigan over an off white dress shirt, accented by a bandanna tied off around his neck (which was a beautiful robin's egg blue that almost matched his eyes).

Comic had thought he was cute in those nurse's scrubs. He had not expected to be bowled over so utterly seeing Blue in causal cloths. His SOUL spasmed in his ribcage, skipping around like a child on a sugar high. And damn, but was Blue sweet enough to give even the biggest sweet tooth a rush!

Blue must have caught sight of him, because he waved, his smile lighting up his face, his eye lights blowing up two sizes and brightening. He came over, pulling himself up onto the stool next to Comic with only a small amount of difficulty. "I'M SORRY I'M LATE!! I WANTED TO RUN HOME AND CHANGE."

Comic had to struggle to find his voice. It was a good thing Blue's eyes were so stunningly captivating, or Comic was certain he would be shamelessly looking him up and down like some kind of creep. "it's okay. you look good. real good. lookin' good." He made himself shut up. _Smooth move, nerd, now he thinks you're shallow AND inarticulate!_

Blue's maxilla changed to his namesake, tilting his head to the side as he looked around. "THANK YOU. I SUPPOSE I MIGHT HAVE OVERDRESSED THOUGH... I JUST GOT EXCITED..."

Comic put the ketchup bottle (which had been in his mouth this whole time _why are you such a fucking dweeb_ ) down on the counter. "naw, you look great. everyone else is just a slob." _Yeah, admit to his face that you're a lazy slob with no drive to look presentable even on a date! You're making a GREAT second impression, because, you know, that first impression of being a crazy klutz who has frequent night terrors was such a terrific start!!!_ He felt sweat begin to bead on his skull, some of it sliding down his neck.

Blue giggled, leaning carefully against the bar top, facing Comic again. "DO YOU COME HERE OFTEN?"

"i'm his best customer, ain't that right grillbz?" Comic turned his grin up into a smirk, winking at the bartender, who nodded with a knowing twinkle in his eyes. _oh, yeah, that was smart, let him know you're a lush on top of everything else._

"SO YOU MUST KNOW THE MENU PRETTY WELL? WHAT WOULD YOU RECOMMEND?" Blue looked up at him, his face void of any judgement.

Comic felt himself melt into his seat. How could anyone be so perfect? "welp, i like the burger and fries, if only because it comes with ketchup."

Blue's eyes pulsed once, intrigue on his face. "I'VE NEVER HAD A BURGER BEFORE!!"

Comic sat up straighter. "we're fixing that right now! hey, grillbz! two orders of burg!"

The bartender nodded, heading into the back.

Blue shifted his weight, gripping the edge of the stool and repositioning himself more center on it. Comic watched, wondering what it would be like to have Blue sitting in his lap. He shook his head. No, thats moving way too fast. This is only their first date-

Wait.

Maybe Blue doesn't think this is a date..?

Comic felt his SOUL go unnaturally still. He looked at his companion, trying to read him. Comic was rather proud of his perceptiveness, his ability to read people's faces and the small tells of their body. Everyone was an open book to him. However, when he looked at Blue, all he saw was cheerfulness and optimism and joy, and that smile, and those fucking eye lights _stars damn it you need to stop staring he's going to think you're crazier than he already does look away already!_

Grillby came back in, placing two plates carefully in front of the two skeletons who both turned their heads sharply to face forward and look at the food. "thanks grillbz, it looks great." Comic blurted, kicking himself inwardly.

"IT DOES!! LIKE A TACO, KINDA!" Blue poked the top of the bun experimentally. "ONLY FLUFFIER!!"

Comic almost fell off his seat laughing. He clutched at the bar top, snickering and shaking, trying to keep as quiet as possible. "a- a taco, only fluff-" he couldn't speak clearly, curling inward to muffle the rattling of his rib cage.

"WHAT'S SO FUNNY??" Blue asked, his face puffing up as his eye lights changed shape: they were still stars, but the number of points increased, and the distance between point and crest increased, making them look more like explosions than traditional star shapes. Comic felt his SOUL quiver. That was adorable beyond words. Did his eye lights change shape with his emotions?! He had only ever seen the simple dots and those fabulous stars before. So thats what his pouty face looks like...

"sorry. i just never heard a burg compared to a taco before. that's certainly _food_ for thought!" Comic sat back up, picking the top bun off of his and squirting ketchup inside. "you like tacos, then?"

"THEY ARE MY FAVORITE!" Blue said, his eye lights returning to his default stars. "I COOK THEM ALL THE TIME!! PAPY- MY BROTHER- HE SAYS THE TASTE IS INDESCRIBABLE!!"

"heh, i'd love to try them sometime." Comic said without thinking, biting into his burger.

"HOW ABOUT TOMORROW?"

Comic almost choked. He pounded on his chest, swallowing the oversized bit of meat and bread by sheer force of will. "t-tomorrow?"

"SURE!! I GET OFF AT 6 TOMORROW, SO I CAN RUN HOME AND COOK THEM UP, AND THEN WE CAN MEET- UH, THE PARK MAYBE?"

Comic blinked. Was this Blue's way of asking _him_ out?!

"i'd love to. when should i _park_ it?"

"IS SEVEN OKAY? PREP TIME SHOULDN'T TAKE LONGER THAN THAT!!"

Comic felt his whole body flood with warmth. "seven it is."

Blue flushed his namesake, stronger this time, then picked up his own burger and bit into it. He chewed, a thoughtful look on his face. "HEY! THIS IS PRETTY GOOD!!"

Comic couldn't agree more.

\-------

Comic sat on his knees in the green grass of the park, setting up the telescope he had busted out of his closet. He checked it over, swiveling it left and right, peaking though the lens to make sure it was clean. He then began adjusting the angle, occasionally referencing his notes and a guidebook he had dog eared a few too many pages in. When he was satisfied, he sat back, laying on his back to admire the evening sky with his own sockets.

The view was breathtaking, but it was nothing compared to the stars he would be seeing tonight.

He checked his phone for the time. 6:53. Blue would be leaving soon-

"WOWZERS, WHAT'S THAT?!"

Comic sat up. He looked up at Blue, who was holding a whisker basket in one hand, staring with obvious delight at Comic's telescope.

"a telescope." Comic said, his smile widening. "i forgot, but a comet's passin' real close tonight. i figured maybe... you'd wanna see?"

"BOY DO I!!" Blue sat down next to him, trembling with excitement. "HERE, IF WE EAT NOW WE'LL HAVE PLENTY OF TIME TO ENJOY THE COMET LATER, RIGHT??"

"sure, if you're sure ya wanna _comet_ to it," Comic said with a wink.

Blue gave him that rueful smile, which told Comic he was trying not to laugh out of principle. He reached into the basket and handed Comic something wrapped in tin foil. "TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK!!"

Comic unwrapped his gift, looking forward to eating _Blue's home cooking_. What could be better than-

The smell hit him: burnt meat, half dried glue, and three times the acceptable amount of chili pepper. Comic looked down, careful to not change the quality of his grin. The meat, which was black in some places and pink in others, was covered in multicolored glitter. Comic gulped. As a monster, consuming this sort of thing wasn't actually going to hurt him any, but it wasn't going to be pleasant either. He took a deep breath, summoned his tongue, and bit into the concoction.

"SO, WHAT DO YOU THINK?!" Blue asked, wringing his hands nervously, his smile excited and expectant as he looked at Comic with complete trust.

Comic swallowed. "heh, welp, your bro was totally right. these are indescribable."

"YOU REALLY LIKE THEM?!" Blue swelled with pride and happiness, his eye lights dancing, a light show of sparkling blues and yellows and whites overlaying those big blue stars that thrummed with glee.

Comic smiled. "couldn't be better." And despite the eye-watering burn, the unsettling texture of the meat, the way the grainy charcoal bits flaked off irregularly as it went down, and the uncomfortable way the rest of the food clung to the back of his teeth and the inside of his skull, forcing him to use his tongue to scrape it away, it was the truth. Seeing Blue's face light up like that was more than worth it. He would do anything to see his eyes light up like that.

So he ate the whole goddamn basketful. Every last crumb. Fuck was he going to feel that in the morning. His insides were already protesting, but Comic didn't care. Blue was happy.

While Comic had been eating, and Blue was talking excitedly about his day at work (mostly complaining about a guy named Rick, who didn't sound like a very dedicated employee), Comic heard a strange rustling in one of the nearby trees. He looked over, seeing a flash of orange, but decided not to pay it any mind. It was almost time for stargazing.

Comic wiped a bit of glue, grease, and crumbs on his shirt, chuckling at the end of Blue's last anecdote about Rick, who had been caught by their supervisor doing something lewd with his girlfriend during a less than convenient time for her. "heh heh, guess he got caught _red handed_."

"COMIC! THAT WAS AWFUL!!" Blue exclaimed, fighting down laughter of his own.

"is it a lie?"

"THAT DOESN'T MAKE IT ANY LESS VULGAR!"

"it was your story."

"THATS NOT THE POINT!! THE POINT WAS HE WAS SKIPPING HIS SHIFT AGAIN!"

"then why did you tell me about-?"

"LETS FORGET ABOUT IT OKAY?" By this point Blue was blushing furiously, the glow spreading in a solid wall of a line across his face.

"whatever you like, blue," Comic said, smiling wider. He looked so cute when he was flustered. "we should probably check the telescope anyway. see?" he pointed up.

Blue followed his finger, and gasped. "THE COMET!! IT'S HERE!!!" He carefully took hold of the telescope and trained it on the traveler flying through space. His blush remained, but now it was a dusting of delight and awe and excitement. "COMIC IT HAS TWO TAILS!! IT'S SO PRETTY!!" He pulled away, his eyes filled to their brim with great big five pointed stars, spinning in excitement.

"yeah. stars are pretty alright." Comic murmured, feeling his body relax. He had known that a telescope was for stargazing, but he had never used it quite like this.

Blue grinned. "MWEH HEH HEH! YOUR TURN!!" He grabbed Comic's arm, yanking him over. Comic hadn't been expecting it, and lost his balance, falling flush against Blue's side. He was surprised: Blue looked so small, but his body was strong and firm, not giving an inch to Comic's weight. Comic settled, looking though the telescope. He had to admit, the view was everything he could have dreamed of, two tails of fire and light spitting out from the head of a great ball of ice that shone like fire.

But it was noting compared to what he saw when he pulled away and looked at Blue, illuminated by nothing but the moon and his own magic.

Nothing was more beautiful than that.

\-------

Comic and Blue went out regularly after that. Perhaps not every day (sometimes Blue still took on double shifts), but close to it. On days when Blue couldn't get off work, Comic visited him at the hospital, and they had lunch together outside.

Comic leaned back on the bench, listening to Blue vent about all the things that had frustrated him lately. Turns out he had a little brother (with the same name as Comic's little brother!) who was a bit of a slob, much to Blue's chagrin. Apparently last night had been laundry night, and little Papy (as Blue called him) had left all his cloths on the floor. And not just his bedroom floor, but the livingroom floor, the kitchen, the bathroom, everywhere but Blue's own bedroom had been clothes in varying degrees of filth just strewn about! It had taken Blue over an hour to pick it all up! Then, as if to add insult to injury, Papy had refused to give up his hoodie, which he had been wearing for a month straight and by Blue's account desperately needed washed. Comic couldn't help laughing: it sounded just like something that would happen between him and his own brother, although Comic never allowed more than a single sock to leave his own room (although he did make sure that sock was ever present). He told Blue as much, and Blue had shoved him playfully, shaking his head in mortification, trying not to laugh as Comic described the string of sticky notes he and his brother had made about the sock.

Blue's eyes went dull, and he leaned into Comic's shoulder, looking at his hands. He told Comic how, ever since he had gotten his job, he had been spending less and less time with his brother. He told him how he worried that maybe the laundry incident had been a silent protest, a way to get Blue's attention. Comic had taken one of Blue's hands instinctively, squeezing it for reassurance, and told him that if he was really worried, to take his next weekend off and use it to spend some one on one time with his bro.

Blue had looked at him with such gratitude, such relief that Comic was afraid his SOUL would break itself inside him from all it's fluttering.

Then Comic had gone home and cleaned up his own pigsty, so that when his own brother came home it wouldn't be so bad. Sure, it still wouldn't be up to his brother's standards, but it would be closer.

\-------

Two weeks of take out lunches and midnight dinners (and morning texts, since they had eventually exchanged numbers) passed, and Comic felt like he was on top of the world.

He was lounging on his couch, dozing, when he felt his phone go off. He picked it up.

"heya."

"GOOD MORNING, COMIC!!" It was Blue.

Comic's SOUL leapt, his body jerking up into a sitting position. "blue! uh, whats up?"

Blue didn't answer right away. "ARE YOU BUSY TODAY?"

"nope."

"WOULD YOU LIKE TO JOIN ME AND PAPY AT THE AMUSEMENT PARK??"

"huh?" Comic blinked. Blue was one thing, but he hadn't met Blue's brother before. "you sure? i know ya wanted some brotherly bonding time and-"

"ACTUALLY IT WAS PAPY'S IDEA!! HE WANTS TO MEET MY BOYFRIEND AND-" Blue kept talking, but Comic didn't hear the words. Blue had called him his boyfriend. _Blue had called him his boyfriend!_ Comic felt that warm feeling rush through his bones like a tidal wave.

"i'll be ready in 5. meet ya at the front gate."

"OKAY!" Blue sounded relieved.

Comic took a shortcut upstairs, changing his shirt (which had ketchup stains all over it now) and his shorts (which were rumpled and unkempt). He shook out his jacket, but decided it was fine (Blue had said he looked good in it, after all). With that, he took another shortcut to the amusement park, and began pacing nervously up and down the walkway, hands in his jacket pockets.

After about 20 minutes, Blue arrived, followed by a taller skeleton in a bright orange hoodie. Comic recognized the color. He smiled, waving at Blue as the monster ran over and practically tacked him to the ground. Comic was sure he would have fallen over if Blue hadn't kept his own balance and held him upright. He nuzzled into Comic a bit before letting him go, turning back to the taller skeleton.

"THIS IS HIM, PAPY! PAPY, THIS IS COMIC! COMIC, THIS IS MY BROTHER!!"

Comic looked the taller monster over. He was almost as tall as his own brother, but his posture was slouched. He had a cigarette in his mouth, his hands in his hoodie pockets, and was looking at Comic equally hard. However, he maintained a lazy smile, and offered his hand out. "nice ta finally meet ya. name's papyrus."

"nice ta meet ya too, stretch," Comic replied, shaking the other's hand.

"I'LL GO BUY OUT TICKETS WHILE YOU TWO GET ACQUAINTED!!" Blue grinned, skipping to the ticket teller a few feet away.

Blue's brother (who Comic decided to call Stretch) pulled his hand away, chewing on the stick in his mouth. "just so you know, if you hurt him, i'll end you."

Comic smirked. So that was what this was about. He supposed he couldn't blame the guy. He shrugged, winking. "just don't leave my dust where blue can find it. especially not, say, on the t.v.?"

"what-?"

"isn't that where you left your underwear a few weeks back? on the t.v.?" Comic kept talking, watching Stretch's face change colors. "oh, yeah, blue told me all about it. his story had me _hooked_ from beginning to end. i was _socked_ to hear about him having to pull your boxers out of the garbage disposal. can't imaging having a _bra_ as slovenly as that. then again, i wonder, since he washes your _pants_ , maybe he knows about how you _tailed_ him to one of his dates?" Comic smirked, barely containing the snickers as he watched Stretch process everything.

Stretch sighed, chuckling as he let his body relax (he had been tense before, although Comic hadn't been able to tell until he saw what he looked like when he wasn't). He tossed the now useless butt of his cigarette into the nearby trashcan, and started to light a new one. "guess i met my _match_."

Comic grinned wider.

Blue came back, holding three wristbands. "LETS PUT THEM ON AND GO INSIDE!!!"

Comic and Stretch took the ones offered them, snapping them tight in place so they wouldn't fall off.

Once inside, Stretch actually left them alone, saying he would be taking his time perusing the games. Comic was about so suggest they all do that together, when Blue grabbed Comic's arm and dragged him away.

"MWAH HAH HAH!! WE'LL BE ON THE RIDES, PAPY!! DON'T GET INTO ANY TROUBLE!!!"

Comic blinked, looking back at Stretch, who had a knowing, mischievous grin on his face. Comic didn't like that look. He wasn't sure what was so bad about going with Blue to ride a few rides until he saw where they were headed.

Blue, apparently, was a hardcore daredevil.

By the time Blue was satisfied, hours later, Comic didn't think it would be a good idea for him to eat anything. Ever. Again. But he couldn't be anything but content, because the look on Blue's face, dusted with magic and bright with his smile, was worth any hardship.

Even riding that hellish rollercoaster 47 times in a row.

Even riding that ride that drops you 30 stories straight down... 23 times...

Even getting spun and flipped like some kind of boney pancake between three different rides... 62 times...

Comic reminded his body that it had nothing to throw up as Blue finally took pity on him and suggested they rest at the food court.

Stretch was already there, lounging with his feet up on one of the stone tables, sipping a slushie. "have fun?"

Comic flipped him off while Blue wasn't looking. Smug jerk knew damn well what the past 6 hours had been like for Comic. And he was fucking laughing. Okay, maybe it _was_ funny (after all, how could Comic have known that his - _HIS! oh stars how good was it just to THINK that!!_ \- sweet little Blue was an adrenaline junkie?!) but Comic was still trying not to dry-heave his own bone marrow right now, so his sense of humor was taking a back seat.

"PAPY YOU MISSED ALL THE FUN!! COMIC AND I RODE ALL THE BEST RIDES A TON OF TIMES!!! AND UNLIKE YOU," Blue scolded in a teasing manner, sitting next to his brother, "COMIC DIDN'T TRY TO BE A PARTY POOPER!! HE WENT ON ALL THE RIDES WITH ME!! ALL THE TIMES TOO!!"

Stretch raised both eyebrow ridges in surprise. Did he think Comic would back out at some point? "you don't say..."

"I DO SAY!! HE SCREAMS JUST AS LOUD AS I DO TOO!! BECAUSE _HE_ KNOWS HOW TO HAVE FUN!!"

Comic fell into his seat next to Blue, letting out a loud sigh of relief to be sitting on something that _was not going to move!!_ Blue leaned over, nuzzling into his shoulder. Comic felt a swell of well-deserved pride (heh, p _ride_ ), his grin spreading across his face. How could anyone be unhappy with this outcome?

Blue gave Comic one last nuzzle before standing up. "I'LL GO GET US DRINKS!!" He skipped off, humming the tune that had played on the last ride he and Comic had been on.

"you sure took that well," Stretch observed out loud, eyeing Comic.

"what can i say? i take things in st _ride_."

Stretch chuckled. "i shouldn't have been worried. you're so whipped i don't need to lift a finger. which suits me fine. i'm the lazy type."

"usually i'd argue, but..." Comic tried to lift his head, only for his insides to rebel, making him lay his head back down again, "can't deny i've been _creamed_."

Stretch broke out into genuine laughter. Blue returned, holding three soft drinks and a bag of something pink and fluffy. Stretch's laughter stopped, his eye lights glowing bright with alarm. Comic took the drink Blue offered, and sipped it carefully: it was Sprite. Comic felt his SOUL flutter again: Blue had known just what to do to make him feel better. Blue was so sweet. Blue was so great. Comic loved Blue so mu-

Wait. Pause. Freezeframe.

Comic _loved_ Blue?!

Stretch went to snatch the bag of colorful sugar away from Blue. "you can't have that!"

Comic **loved** Blue?!?!

"CAN TOO! I BOUGHT IT! IT'S MINE!" Blue said defiantly, pulling the bag out of Stretch's reach and backing away.

Comic pulled himself up a little, his insides feeling better thanks to the gentle bubble of the sprite, although his thought we still stuck in a loop. Comic **_loved_** Blue. He loved the guy. After only two months. Stars. He was a fucking creeper.

"blue don't you dare-" Stretch's voice pierced Comic's thoughts. Comic looked up in time to see Blue take a large bite of pink cotton candy.

Blue immediately froze, his eye lights going dark for the first time Comic had ever seen.

"oh, no..." Stretch groaned, taking his chance to steal the bag away.

Blue began to vibrate

And then...

"MWEH HEH HEH HEH HEH HEH HEEEEEEEEH!!!!" Blue exploded with energy, the stars in his eyes returning with a vengeance, pulsating with pinks and yellows and blues in rapid succession. "LETS GO!!!" He snatched at Comic's arm and started running, carting Comic behind him like a rag doll. Comic barely kept a hold of his comforting drink, getting dizzy again.

Blue didn't stop. Period. He dragged Comic from rides to game booths and back for hours, his feet never going still, his voice an unending stream of comments and compliments without need to stop to breath. It went on until the light left the sky and night fell.

And Blue fell with it.

One moment, Blue was happy chittering on about all the things he liked about the last ride they had been on, the next his vibrant eye lights had gone out, and he had dashed to the nearest trashcan. Comic heard gasping and the expulsion of something liquid, and a quiet sob. Blue shook, clutching the trashcan for dear life.

Comic put his hand on his back, rubbing small, soothing circles on one of his vertebrae through his shirt. Blue shuddered, his body convulsing as he got sick. Comic put his other hand on one of Blue's humeri, rubbing up and down gently, trying to sooth him.

Eventually, Blue sank to the ground, his strength all but gone. Comic carefully guided him over to a nearby park bench, using a little BLUE magic to help lay him down. Blue groaned, hiding his face in his hands, still shaking. Comic sat beside his head and began to stroke it. "feel better..?"

Blue groaned louder.

Comic smiled softly. He was even cute like this, all wrung out like a dishrag. "can i get ya anything?"

Blue shook his head. His shaking had begun to lessen, but he still hid is face with his arms. Comic kept his hand moving leisurely over his skull, hoping he was coming off as soothing (as opposed to creepy).

"SORRY ABOUT THAT..." Blue's voice was muffled, quiet.

"about what?"

"I NEVER SHOULD HAVE HAD SUGAR... BUT..." Blue sighed. "I WAS HAVING SUCH A GREAT DAY AND- I-"

Comic took hold of Blue's wrists (stars, it only took one of his hands to get both of his wrists he was so small!) and pulled his arms down from his face. Comic looked down at the surprised monster, whose face was still tearstained. Comic took his other hand and gripped the end of his jacket sleeve, using it to wipe away the liquid magic. "ya had fun, right? even on your sugar high?"

Blue sniffed. "YES..."

Comic smiled. "then thats all that matters. i'm happy if you're happy. so don't be _blue_."

Blue smiled up at him, pulling lightly to try and free his hands from Comic's grip. "YOU'RE GETTING YOUR JACKET DIRTY..."

"eh, it was dirty already. no biggie." Comic shrugged, letting Blue's wrists go as soon as he was done.

Blue sat up, rubbing his face with the side of his finger to check for residue (of which none remained). He smiled, the stars starting to return to his eyes, little blue lights that grew gradually brighter, twinkling in the black background of his sockets. "THANK YOU, COMIC."

Comic shrugged. "heh, what are boyfriends for?"

Blue flushed, his smile widening. He nuzzled into Comic's chest, wrapping his arms around him and pulling himself as close as possible without getting in his lap. Blue let his eyelids fall half closed, obscuring Comic's view of the stars that were once again bright and beautiful. Comic wrapped his arm around Blue's shoulders, admiring the blush on his maxilla, letting the warmth flooding his marrow drag him into a state of mindless contentment.

They sat like that until Stretch found them, and informed them it was time to go home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know I said this would be done in 2 chapters but stuff happens and now it's gonna be longer.
> 
> This story is not done.
> 
> ==========================
> 
> hey, if you like this shit, try checking out my other stories! As of now the two big ones are [Resonance](http://archiveofourown.org/works/10828317) and [some college AU story](http://archiveofourown.org/works/11242005/chapters/25125825).  
> Yes I'm a shameless self-promoter. :P


	3. Bonding By Food

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A little time passes.  
> The skeletons start thinking about things.

"ARE YOU SURE ABOUT THIS??" Blue asked, wringing his hands as Comic lead him down the street.

"'course i am." Comic replied, his lazy smile sitting reassuringly on his face. "i met your bro, so its only fair ya meet mine. 'side, ever since i told him about you, he's been real excited to meet ya in person."

Blue almost took comfort in that, but something threw up red flags, making him tense up all over again. "WHAT DO YOU MEAN, 'IN PERSON'?"

Comic chuckled. "well, i've told him all about you, and sent him pictures, so he pretty much knows you already."

Blue felt his body grow hot, his cheeks burning. "WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT?!" he whined.

"do what?" Comic asked, turning the corner, "brag about my boyfriend to my brother?"

Blue felt his soul flutter at the word 'boyfriend' (it always made him feel a little warm and dizzy when Comic said it, casual and simple and with the finality of truth), but shook his head and planted his hands on his hips, doing his damnedest to look intimidating and stern. "DON'T TRY TO SWEET TALK YOUR WAY OUT OF THIS!! WHY WOULD YOU SEND PICTURES OF ME TO YOUR BROTHER?! AND WHAT PICTURES?!"

"the ones of us at the zoo. remember?"

Blue did remember. He had had a lovely evening, walking arm and arm with Comic, looking at all the many types of flora and fauna. Blue had found himself particularly transfixed by the displays in the aquarium, spending a full hour by the petting tank running his phalanges over a beautiful yellow starfish. They were so squishy! But also bumpy! It was fascinating!

Comic had taken a few pictures that day, most of them selfie style, with Blue standing next to him. Blue had made some goofy faces, shaping his eye lights into strange things like hotdogs and a parrots and butterflies, mostly to impress Comic. He had even done a dolphin shape, making them go up and down to simulate the creature doing tricks. It had been difficult to pull off (Blue had practiced in a mirror the whole week prior to get some of those shapes right), but the delighted grin on Comic's face had made the whole thing worth it.

Comic stopped in front of a fancy looking restaurant, turning to look at Blue. "if i, uh, overstepped..." he didn't look Blue in the face, opting instead to investigate a fire hydrant that was suddenly very interesting to him.

Blue's scowl broke. "I"M NOT REALLY MAD. JUST... EMBARRASSED. YOU DIDN'T ACTUALLY DO ANYTHING WRONG. I JUST DIDN'T WANT YOUR BROTHER'S FIRST IMPRESSION OF ME TO BE... FROM PICTURES... I DON'T LOOK THAT GOOD IN THEM..."

"what? are you kidding? you're a _vision_!"

"DON'T EVEN START!!" Blue said, shoving Comic lightly. "NO PUNS TONIGHT! I WANT TO MAKE A GOOD IMPRESSION!!" And Blue couldn't do that if he was giggling like mad at his boyfriend's stupid jokes.

 _His boyfriend. Stars_ it was so nice to think that.

Comic shrugged, taking Blue's hand and leading him inside. Blue looked around. The place was loud, full of people talking and laughing. Comic walked up to the counter, tapping twice on the little bell set there. The hostess looked up from the cash register, where she had been putting money away. Her face contorted into shock, then schooled itself into a false pleasantness. "Do you have a reservation?" She asked a little too sweetly.

"i.m. bony. party of three." Comic answered, smiling with equal parts congeniality and tension. Blue wondered why. The hostess checked the computer logs, scowled at the screen, then picked up a few menus and came out from behind the counter.

"This way, please," She said evenly, setting a brisk pace. Comic followed, keeping a firm grip on Blue's hand as they weaved their way through the restaurant to a private booth. Comic slid to the middle, letting Blue have one end, leaving the other for their final companion, who had yet to arrive.

"A server will be with you shortly," the hostess said, leaving the menus on the table and power walking away.

Comic snorted, picking up one menu and opening it. "and i thought this place has a rep for being monster friendly..."

"SHE SEEMED NICE!" Blue said, more to convince himself than Comic. "BESIDES, WE DON'T KNOW THAT IT WAS BECAUSE WE WERE MONSTERS! MAYBE SHE JUST DOESN'T LIKE CUTE BOYS!"

Comic blinked, then his face lit up in genuine amusement, his low wheezing laughter creeping out. " _stars_ blue..!"

"WHAT?" Blue asked innocently, but he knew what he had said.

"always the bright side with you."

"IT'S EASY TO BE BRIGHT WITH YOU AROUND!"

"because i'm so de _light_ ful?"

"EXAC- COMIC!!!!" Blue smacked the other's arm playfully. "I THOUGHT I SAID NOT TONIGHT!!"

"sorry, but you _sparked_ that one."

Blue covered his face, trying to hide his grinning. "YOU'RE TERRIBLE!!"

"never take how punny i can be _light_ ly."

Blue fell apart into giggles, burying his face in the table. It wasn't fair. How could he love something he hated so much? How could he hate something he loved so much? Comic made him feel everything so much more vividly, it was like being near him made the world real. One minute Blue's walking down the street, and the next he's with Comic, and suddenly all the colors spring to life and the air smells fresher and the sun feels warmer and there is music everywhere _and the worst jokes seem so stars-damned funny_. It was so easy for Comic to make him laugh. It wasn't fair. How could Blue possibly return such a gift, such an experience, in equal measure?

"over here, bro!" Comic suddenly raised his voice, waving as he stood a little out of his seat. Blue looked up. A tall skeleton monster, dressed in an orange-red sweater and white dress pants, was headed towards them. He was wearing a brilliant red scarf, which trailed behind him as he moved.

"THERE YOU ARE!!" The tall skeleton monster exclaimed. "I WAS CERTAIN YOU WOULD BE LATE, BUT HERE YOU ARE ON TIME!! GOOD JOB, BROTHER!!" He grinned, sitting down next to Comic and giving him an affectionate hug.

Comic chuckled. "what can i say? i'm full of surprises."

"AREN'T YOU GOING TO INTRODUCE US?" Blue asked, a tad nervous.

Comic smiled. "oh, right. paps, this is blue. blue, meet papyrus."

"IT IS NICE TO MEET YOU, BLUE!!" Papyrus said, extending his hand over the table.

Blue smiled. "IT IS NICE TO MEET YOU TOO!!" He reached out and took hold of the monster's hand. His much smaller one was incased in Papyrus's firm grip. A grip which, for the briefest instant, squeezed down so hard it was just short of painful. It took quite a lot of self control to keep from jumping or pulling his hand away.

Papyrus shook it a few times, gently but firmly, then let go, his arms settling on the table edge. "SO HOW DID YOU TWO MEET??"

Comic froze for the briefest moment, then relaxed again. "he just kinda walked into my life, heh."

Blue blinked, about to open his mouth, then snapped it shut. That's right. Comic didn't tell his brother about being in the hospital. It was a secret. A secret Comic was trusting him to keep. Blue didn't think it was something that _should_ be kept secret, but it was what Comic wanted, and for now Blue was going to shoulder that trust with all the reverence it deserved.

Thankfully, Papyrus bought the lame explanation. "HOW LONG DID YOU KNOW EACH OTHER BEFORE YOU BEGAN YOUR COURTSHIP??"

"SIX WEEKS, GIVE OR TAKE," Blue answered.

"WHAT DREW YOU TO MY BROTHER??" Papyrus asked.

Comic's skull lit up. "paps! you can't just ask-"

"NO, IT'S OK! UM..." Blue fidgeted. "I THINK IT WAS... HIS SMILE. AND HIS JOKES-"

"YOU LIKE THOSE AWFUL PUNS OF HIS?!?!" Papyrus exclaimed, a full click louder.

Blue blinked. "WHAT? NO! I MEAN, I DON'T HATE THEM EXACTLY BUT I DON'T LIKE THEM EITHER..." He looked at his hands, which he had been wringing under the table. "IT'S MORE ABOUT... HOW HE SOUNDS WHEN HE SAYS THEM... HE SOUNDS HAPPY. AND THAT MAKES ME HAPPY... SO..."

Blue looked up. Comic was staring at him, his maxilla dusted with that pale blue light, his eye lights tiny jittering pinpricks. Papyrus was looking at Blue thoughtfully, his skull propped up by one arm, chin cradled in the palm of his hand as he raised an eyebrow ridge.

"NYEH HEH. FAIR ENOUGH!! THAT IS A NICE THING TO LIKE!!" Papyrus looked at Comic. "YOU ARE QUITE RIGHT, BROTHER. HE IS A GOOD PERSON. I APPROVE."

"geez paps..." Comic groaned softly, hiding his face in his hands.

Papyrus laughed.

Blue smiled.

The rest of the evening was pleasant. Blue learned that Papyrus (or Rus, as Blue decided to call him in his head) was training to be a police officer. He had just come back from a boot camp, although there were surprisingly few actual boots that Rus saw. Mostly mud. Tons and tons of mud. Which had gotten everywhere and on everyone. It had taken Rus literal hours to clean it all out from between his bones. Blue had shuddered in sympathy. Rus then said it was better than the mess he had come home to, ranting about all the takeout trash and grease stains he had found all over the livingroom.

Blue learned that Comic was indeed as big a slob as his own brother. Just not with laundry.

That was going to have to change when they started living together.

 **If.** _If_ they started living together. Which would be a long way off. It had only been three months now. That wasn't long enough to be thinking about that kind of thing!

Was it?

Rus insisted on exchanging contact information, saying he found Blue delightful and wanting to be friends with him independently of Comic. Blue jumped at the chance, wanting nothing more than to be on good terms with his boyfriend's brother.

Blue went home feeling like dinner had gone well. Then his phone buzzed. He looked at it. A message from Rus? Already?

 **Rus:** GREETINGS BLUE! IT IS I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS! THERE IS A MATTER OF UTMOST IMPORTANCE THAT WE MUST GET OUT OF THE WAY AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE.  
**Rus:** AS PER MY RESEARCH, IT IS CUSTOMARY FOR I, THE BROTHER OF YOUR SIGNIFICANT OTHER, TO ENGAGE IN A RITUALISTIC EXCHANGE WITH YOU  
**Rus:** I WOULD HAVE DONE SO EARLIER, BUT THE EXCHANGE IS NOT SUPPOSED TO BE MADE WHILE THE THIRD PARTY IS PRESENT (NO I DON'T KNOW WHY)  
**Rus:** ANYWAY, WITHOUT FURTHER ADO:  
**Rus:** IF YOU HURT HIM I WILL END YOU

Blue blinked. THAT was what the squeeze earlier had been about! The customary intimidation! He had heard about it while watching anime with his friends. Blue quickly responded.

 **Me:** I UNDERSTAND  
**Me:** I WOULD NEVER DO SUCH A THING  
**Rus:** EXCELLENT!  
**Rus:** NOW THAT THAT IS OVER, WOULD YOU LIKE TO GO OUT FOR NICECREAM SOMETIME?

Blue smiled.

 **Me:** OF COURSE!!

* * *

Another few months passed. Blue consistently had lunch with Comic five days a week. On the weekends, if he wasn't going out somewhere with Comic and/or Rus, he was at home with his own brother, thinking about what he was going to do the next time he saw Comic.

Blue came to realize he was neglecting his other friends, hardly talking to anyone else in his efforts to spend more and more time with his boyfriend. So he called up Alphys, Undyne, and Chara, and invited them to join him at the beach on Saturday.

Comic said he was working that day anyway.

So when the weekend rolled around, Blue packed up the beach towels and the parasols and the floaties, and dragged his brother who was half asleep out the door and down to the bus stop. Papy slept through the ride, his head resting on the back of the seat. Blue held fast to the overstuffed bag, looking out the window, ignoring the aura of malice that settled in the vehicle, emanating from some of the other passengers. Perhaps they were jealous about not being able to go to the beach like he was.

Perhaps he really did look on the bright side too much.

But it was a lot nicer than the alternative.

The ride was thankfully short.

Blue threw the still sleeping Papy over his shoulder and energetically jumped off the bus. "MWEH HEH HEH!! WE'RE HERE, PAPY!! THE BEACH!!"

Papy groaned softly into Blue's shoulder. Blue could smell the dull remnants of spider cider and beer on his breath. Blue shook his head. No, Papy's bad habits were not going to drag today down. He was going to have fun with the rest of them, and he was going to like it. Because Blue said so.

Papy refused to wake up enough to carry his own weight, so Blue carried him on his shoulder like a potato sack, making his way down to the sandy expanse. There were already a good number of people (mostly human) around. Some of them openly stared at Blue as he passed by, although most of them didn't pay him any mind. Blue himself didn't pay mind to any of them, except to make sure he didn't bump into them. His eyes had already picked out the people he wanted to join: a nervous blue fish monster, wearing a bright pink backless bikini; a bold yellow lizard monster in a black tankini top and swim trunks; a small human child in a yellow and green one piece with what looked like a poofy tutu.

"HEY EVERYONE!!!" Blue yelled as he approached, waving with his free hand (his other one holding the strap of his bag and keeping his brother balanced on his shoulder.

The yellow lizard looked over, a grin breaking across her face. "YO BLUE!!" She screamed back, waving vigorously. The human child and fish monster looked up, each one sporting smiles in varying degrees of size.

Blue closed the distance between them, setting his bag and brother down into the sand. "GOOD TO SEE YOU AGAI-" He was cut off by the lizard, who snatched him up in her large, muscly arms and put him in a headlock, giving him a nuggy.

"WHERE THE HELL HAVE YOU BEEN, SHRIMP?!" She demanded to know, digging her knuckles into the top of his skull.

"HEY! EASY!! DON'T NUGGY THE SKELETON!!" Blue laughed and pleaded, squirming. It didn't hurt that much, more uncomfortable than anything, but he would still prefer she let go. And after a moment of allowing herself to indulge herself, she did, setting him gently in front of her.

"Seriously, Blue, whats been happening? We haven't talked in ages!!" She grinned, showing off tiny sharp teeth. "What, that new job of yours working you too hard?"

Blue grinned back. "LOTS OF THINGS HAVE HAPPENED!! I MIGHT HAVE GOTTEN EXCITED AND LOST TRACK OF TIME. SORRY ALPHYS!"

"Just so long as you're doing alright, shrimp!" Alphys said, smacking him playfully (if a bit hard) on the back.

Blue set about laying out the towels, although he gathered quickly that one of them would go largely unused, since the human had begun to bury Papy in the sand. Blue giggled, setting up one of the large parasols over his brother, so the sun wouldn't bother him as much. Papy, for his part, at least had removed his hoodie. It was now balled up and being used as a pillow.

Blue sat back on the blanket he had spread out for himself, taking off his sandals. He had worn his suit there, under his cloths (a sailor uniform suit, all white and blue with stripes that matched his one piece swimsuit). Blue set to work blowing up his floaties (he wasn't particularly buoyant, being a skeleton and all) as Alphys plopped down to talk to him.

"So me and Undyne went to the amusement park last week, and you wouldn't believe the rides! The rollercoasters were INSANE!! I must have ridden every one of them!!" She leaned closer. "We have got to go together sometime!!"

"YEAH! TOTALLY!! AND WE HAVE TO RIDE THE DROP RIDE TOO!! A LOT!! IT'S MY FAVORITE!!" Blue responded, excited. Alphys would make a great partner for riding the crazier rides. That way he wouldn't make Comic feel so sick when he kept wanting to go back-

"Wait, you went already?" Alphys asked in surprise. "When??"

Blue stopped. "UH, THREE MONTHS AGO... AT THE START OF THE SEASON." He answered. "PAPY SUGGESTED WE GO, SINCE HE WANTED TO MEET COMIC AND-"

"Wait, who's Comic?"

Blue blushed. That's right. He hadn't told anyone except Papy. "UH, MWEEEH HEH... HE'S THIS GUY I MET THROUGH WORK... THAT I MIGHT BE... DATING..?"

"DATING?!" Alphys shouted, making Undyne and Chara jump. "YOU GOT A BOYFRIEND AND DIDN'T TELL ME?!?!"

Blue swallowed, nervous. "I DIDN'T MEAN TO KEEP IT A SECRET OR ANYTHING! WE JUST SORTA FOUND EACH OTHER AND STUFF HAPPENED..."

"When did you guys start dating??" Alphys pressed, her interest clearly taken.

"I GUESS IT'S BEEN FOUR MONTHS NOW??" Blue blinked. That meant he had known Comic for almost half a year.

"W-w-what's he l-like?" Undyne asked, crawling closer to Alphys to join the conversation. "I-if you don't mine me a-asking..."

"I wanna know too!" Chara chimed from their spot at Papy's side, working on shaping the sand into a fish tail to make the still sleeping skeleton look like a mermaid.

Blue set down the floatie he was clearly not going to be able to inflate. "HE'S GENTLE. AND SMART. AND KIND. AND, WELL, HE _THINKS_ HE'S FUNNY BUT REALLY HIS JOKES ARE TERRIBLE. BUT HE HAS A GREAT SMILE AND A BETTER LAUGH AND HE MAKES EVEN A RATTY JACKET LOOK NICE AND-"

"Woah woah woah, slow down, shrimp! Okay, so you like the guy! Thats good enough for me!" Alphys grinned wickedly. "So when do I get to meet him?"

"YOU WANNA MEET HIM??"

"Well, duh!" Alphys snickered. "Gotta make sure he knows what'll happen if he breaks your heart!"

"ALPHYS!!" Blue exclaimed, blushing. "THAT ISN'T NECESSARY!!"

"It's totally necessary!" Alphys argued.

Blue shook his head, picking the floaties back up and resuming his efforts to get them inflated.

The day passed by peacefully. Blue did manage to get his floaties in working order, and went out into the water with Alphys and Undyne and Chara. They had a splash fight, which Alphys attested she won, but Blue knew he himself had been victorious. Or he would have been, had the tide not overtaken him and swept him out to sea. Undyne had had to swim out and drag him back.

Once back on shore, Blue flopped onto his beach towel, energy spent. He noticed Papy was gone, his hoody left behind in the sand.

"That's my e-exercise for the d-day..." Undyne said, falling onto her own towel, a triumphant smile on her face. She wasn't a particularly energetic monster, but she moved pretty fast in the water.

"You were AWESOME, fishcakes!" Alphys fawned, wrapping her arms around her girlfriend's shoulders. Undyne blushed, averting her eyes as she leaned into the lizard's embrace.

Blue watched, feeling a twinge of loneliness. He had had such fun with his friends, but he wished Comic was here. He wanted to cuddle up against him, and watch the sunset together.

Papy came back, holding a hotdog in one hand and his phone in the other. He walked up to Blue, who looked up at him curiously. "WHERE DID YOU GET THAT HOTDOG??"

"the hotdog vender." Papy responded lazily, flicking his phone open with one hand.

"HOW?? YOU SPENT ALL YOUR MONEY LAST NIGHT!" Blue insisted. "DID SOMEONE ELSE PAY FOR IT??"

"naw. we just made a deal." Papy explained. Blue heard a click, the sound of his brother's phone taking a photo.

"WHAT KIND OF DEAL??" Blue asked, curious.

"he said cute guys eat free, but he'd trade for a cute pic too." Papy fiddled with his phone one handed a little longer, then smirked. "and since now this is paid for..." He took a bite from his hotdog, chuckling at the looks of horror Alphys was giving him. "wut?" he asked, mouth full.

"Did you just pimp out your brother FOR A HOT DOG?!?!" Alphys screeched at him.

"maybe." Papy admitted, not sounding the least bit repentant.

"Y-you s-shouldn't just g-give out pictures to s-strangers..!" Undyne stuttered, surprised and dismayed.

"yup. you're absolutely right." Papy agreed.

"Then why did you-?!" Alphys couldn't even finish her sentence.

Papy snickered. He had a smug grin on his face.

Blue stared at him. Something didn't quite fit. Papy wasn't one to give his phone number out freely, and texting someone was as good as doing that. He looked at his brother, who still had that unapologetic smile on his face as he savored his prize. No, Papy wouldn't do something legitimately bad and look like that.

Blue got up, and headed out to the venders area.

Alphys got up, following him. "Wait up, shrimp!"

Blue didn't slow down. He had that itching feeling at the back of his mind that he was forgetting something. He power walked across the sand, reaching the first few vendors in less than a minute. He passed by the icecream stand and the lemonade stand, as well as a stand with watermelon. He didn't slow down until he saw the big cartoon hotdog sign.

And he saw him.

There was Comic, sitting idle at the hotdog stand, his feet propped up on top of the booth as he leaned back precariously on his stool. He had sunglasses taped into place on his face, although at the moment he was holding them up from his (darkened? discolored?) eye sockets with the index phalanx of his right hand. As Blue approached, he saw that Comic had a lazy grin on his face, admiring something on his phone in his left hand. Blue realized what must have transpired, and felt his cheeks grow hot.

"Are you the creeper making shady business deals?!" Alphys snapped, breaking Blue's revery. She had closed the distance between them and the stand while Blue had been distracted by other things.

Comic closed his phone, letting his sunglasses fall back into place on his face, looking up at Alphys with a grin. "dunno where that came from, lady, _bratwurst_ thing i've done today is take a nap. wanna buy a hotdog?"

Alphys stopped, blinking at him. "Was that a-?"

Comic grinned wider. "what? am i too punny for ya? guess you don't _meat_ guys as good as me every day." Comic's head turned slightly, and his smile grew wider. "heya there, blue. wanna buy a hotdog? though i'd never make _you_ pay for _my_ weiner!"

"THAT WAS TERRIBLE!" Blue complained as he took the spot next to Alphys at the counter, his face growing hotter from the dirty joke.

"so it was in poor _taste_?"

"COMIC!!!"

"never _condiment_ to offend." Comic continued, holding up a container of ketchup nonchalantly with one hand.

"STAWP IT!!"

"just trying to have a little _bun_ with ya." This time Comic held up the bag of hotdog buns, his grin widening as he watched Blue cover his face with one had, smoldering his laughter.

"You two know each other?" Alphys asked, clearly confused.

Blue sucked in a breath, smothering the last of his giggles. He looked up at her. "YES WE DO!! ALPHYS, THIS IS COMIC!! COMIC, THIS IS MY BEST FRIEND ALPHYS!!!"

"nice ta meet'cha, alph."

"Uh, same."

Blue grinned, looking back at Comic. "SO THIS IS WHAT YOU MEANT WHEN YOU SAID YOU WERE WORKING TODAY?"

"yup." Comic replied, pulling his feet down from the counter and tipping forward to lean on the counter with one arm. "didn't think i'd see ya here, or i'd have said something."

"THATS ALRIGHT!!" Blue reassured him. "WHEN ARE YOU DONE TODAY??"

Comic checked the time on his phone. "i usually stay until dark, but business has been pretty good today, so i might cut out early." He looked up, that playful smile tugging at his teeth. "i only got six more hotdogs left to sell."

"WHEN YOU SELL THEM, WOULD YOU LIKE TO JOIN US??" Blue asked, hoping he didn't sound as needy as he felt.

Comic chuckled. "if you're sure ya don't mind having me."

"OF COURSE I DON'T MIND!!! EVERYONE WANTS TO MEET YOU ANYWAY!"

"We do?" Alphys asked incredulously.

"YOU SAID YOU DID." Blue replied, looking at her. "REMEMBER?" As Alphys thought about that, Blue remembered why he came over, turning back to Comic. "WHEN DID YOU AND PAPY EXCHANGE NUMBERS?"

Comic went quite for a moment, his smile stretching a bit tighter in that way Blue knew meant he had thought of something that irritated him. "a few months back."

Blue decided not to press it. He reached out and took Comic's hand. "SEE YOU ON THE BEACH??"

Comic's smile relaxed, his hand turning to grip Blue's warmly. "in a few. just gotta close up shop."

Blue felt that rush of warmth flood him. He couldn't help himself. Standing up on his tip toes, he leaned over and planted a chaste kiss on Comic's frontal bone. "WILL YOU BE ABLE TO FIND US ALRIGHT?" He asked, a little quieter, tilting his head down to press his own frontal bone against Comic's skull.

Comic chuckled. "finding you is never hard."

"SEE YOU BACK AT THE BEACH THEN!" Blue pulled away, seeing the light dusting of blue light on Comic's maxilla. He snatched Alphys' arm and pulled her away.

Alphys, for her part, was uncharacteristically silent, a look of stunned shock frozen on her usually expressive face. She didn't say a word until they got back to the others.

"W-what happened?" Undyne asked, seeing the look on her girlfriend's face.

Alphys sat down next to her. Papy smirked wider.

"WHY DIDN'T YOU JUST SAY IT WAS BLUE'S BOYFRIEND?!?!" Alphys finally snarled.

Papy only answered with a sly grin.

\-------

Comic watched Blue leave his booth, admiring the way his exposed scapulae shown bright in the evening sun. Comic had not expected to meet up with him today, but _stars_ was it good to see him.

It was always good to see Blue.

Comic shook himself out of his thoughts, turning to the task of packing up the booth. Business really had been good today, there wasn't much left to pack up. He had made a good profit today.

He might be able to afford _that_ soon.

Comic flushed again. He knew it was ridiculous. He shouldn't be thinking in those terms, of _that_ , so soon. But when he saw it, displayed in the window a few months ago, a starburst pattern of sapphire and blue topaz and diamond set in white gold, and he had known it was the one he wanted. It was perfect. And he was going to get it. He was going to get it for Blue.

Even if it meant taking on 4 jobs.

Even if it meant working long hours and late nights.

Even if it meant cutting himself off from Grillby's for a while.

It was worth it. It was going to be worth it.

The hotdog stand was one of the easiest of his gigs. He had also taken a job as tutor at the local private school (it didn't pay as well as being a teacher, but you didn't need a license to tutor, and there were plenty of rich kids who couldn't math their way out of a paper bag), and that was easy enough, except he had to keep biting his proverbial tongue. Then there was the babysitting job, which would have been fine if the little ankle biters didn't try to climb his rib cage like a jungle gym. Oh, some of them were a treat to watch, and he would admit that freely, but there were others whose parents he dreaded getting a call from. He would have declined those offers flat out if he thought he could get away with it, but he knew he couldn't, considering how few people actually hired him. His last job was a nightshift cashier at a local gas station. That was the worst. He was either bored out of his mind, arguing with some drunk that _no, the two-for-one sale on soda did not extend to the sam adams_ , or getting robbed -- well, dealing with an attempted robbery, at least: nobody had actually managed to succeed (heh).

Comic carefully closed the cooler, where the last packet of hotdogs was safely tucked away, and folded up his portable grill. He piled them on top of each other, stuffing the condiments into a bag and slinging it over his shoulder. He then picked up both the cooler and the grill, and made his way down to the changing rooms. He ducked inside one of the stalls, smiled smugly, and took a shortcut back to his house. He carefully put the food away, leaving the grill on the kitchen counter. Then he took a shortcut back to the stall, and walked out unburdened.

He then made his way down to the beach, and began searching the crowd for Blue.

It wasn't hard, just like he knew it wouldn't be. Blue was radiating a gentle, unmistakable magic that drew Comic in like a moth to a flame. Comic followed the siren call of Blue's SOUL, winding his way though the maze of bodies until he caught sight of the monster that had long since monopolized his every waking thought. He felt himself smile.

He approached.

Blue looked up, his eye lights shining again like stars, the vibrant cyan complimenting the yellows of the sunset that danced across the white of his face. His smile was welcoming, genuine, at once both energetic and effortless. Comic almost forgot how to use his legs, but thankfully they remembered for him, bringing him closer to the monster that personified happiness.

"sorry for the wait." Comic said, trying to sound casual.

"NOT A PROBLEM!!" Blue responded, reaching to take his hand and pull him down onto his towel. Comic let him.

"S-so this is the guy? You b-boyfriend?" Someone asked. Comic looked over at the timid speaker, who was sitting next to Alphys.

"SURE IS, UNDYNE!! THIS IS COMIC!" Blue said with pride, stoking that warm feeling in Comic's bones.

"It's nice to meet you!" Another voice said. A voice that sent a shiver down Comic's spine. It had come from the opposite side. He turned his head.

There, previously hidden from view by the sand and Stretch's body, was a human child. A human child in yellow and green. A human child with eyes that glittered with red light, who wore a toothy grin, holding a tool that was covered in something grainy.

Comic stiffened, his magic draining from his face, his body breaking out into a cold sweat. Again he was dragged into memories he would rather have left undisturbed, memories of golden light and red stains and grey dust and a child's laughter and _no no no he couldn't do it again he couldn't lose them again he couldn't lose Papyrus he couldn't lose_ -

"COMIC?!?!?!" Blue's voice broke though his panic.

Comic shuddered, gulping in a breath he hadn't realized he needed, taking comfort from the gentle but firm pressure of Blue's hands on his shoulders. He heard a soft clacking, and realized he was shaking rather hard. he closed his eyes, forcing himself to be still. He heard the others talking, but he didn't pay it much mind.

"what's wrong with him?"

"Is he sick?"

"L-looks like a p-panic attack..."

"Is there anything I can do to help?"

Comic's eyes shot open. That voice was significantly closer now. He looked up. The human child was standing nearby, that tool still clutched in their hand.

Comic's magic rose in an instinctive response to a perceived threat. His left hand tensed, ready to snatch up the first SOUL he saw in the impending FIGHT.

But it never came.

Blue squeezed a little harder on his shoulders. "COMIC?? ARE YOU ALRIGHT??"

Comic looked back at the child. No, that red light wasn't the glow of DETERMINATION and LOVE, it was just the reflection of the sunset. No, that wasn't a knife, it was a shovel. No, that wasn't dust, it was sand.

Comic forced his magic to recede. "yeah. was just hit with a _wave_ of exhaustion," he joked, putting on his best smile.

"i can under _sand_ that," Stretch remarked.

"PAPY!! NO!" Blue exclaimed, settling back on the beach towel, next to Comic.

"good thing i have such a tough _shell_ ," Comic continued, leaning against Blue, keeping the physical contact. It helped him relax.

"that sounds _fishy_ to me," Stretch shot back playfully.

" _water_ you talking about?" Comic asked innocently.

"just saying you looked a little green around the _gills_."

"STOP! STOP! NO MORE!!!" Blue begged, hiding his face as his shoulders shook. The human was sitting now, giggling softly. "DON'T ENCOURAGE THEM, HUMAN!!"

"alright. sorry, bro. couldn't help myself." Despite his words, Stretch's expression was anything but apologetic.

"THATS OKAY PAPY! I ALREADY FORGIVE YOU!" Blue said, pulling himself back together.

"do you forgive me too? don't leave me _out to sea_." Comic smiled innocently at the annoyed but amused look he was given in return.

"I feel for you, Blue. You're pinned between two awful pun makers." Alphys observed.

"you could say..." Comic started.

"DON'T!" Blue commanded.

"you're stuck between..."

"COMIC..!"

"the devil and the _deep blue sea!_ "

"MWEHHHHHHHHH!!!"

Stretch broke down into hysterical laughter.

Alphys crossed her arms, leaning back into Undyne, who was smiling. The human giggled more, hugging their middle as their lungs began to ache from it.

Blue finished his scream, and settled back down with a sigh. He looked at Comic, his eye lights spinning and twirling in dazzling blue shapes until they settled back to gentle pulsing stars. He put an arm around Comic's shoulders, pulling the two of them closer and nuzzling his skull into Comic's chest, looking out at the sunset on the glittering expanse of water before them. Comic felt the last of his tension melt away, putting his arm over Blue's shoulders and breathing deep the smell of salt and grit and water.

But Comic wasn't looking at the sunset.

He was looking at something much more beautiful.

\-------

Blue sat watching the sunset with Comic, reveling in his presence, taking comfort in the serene smile and gentle hum of the magic in his bones. He didn't want this moment to end.

But time moves ever forward, regardless of what we want. And the sun disappeared over the horizon, leaving behind the dark canvas of sky to be dotted with starlight.

After that, Undyne and Alphys left, giving Blue cheerful goodbyes. Papy stood up not much later, pulling on his hoodie and taking Chara's hand, going to be the one to take them home. Blue waved goodbye then too, for he still did not want to move.

But then Comic stirred. He stood up carefully, so as not to jostle Blue too much. "so i guess it's getting late... we'd better head home too..."

Blue clenched his fists. "COMIC. I WANTED TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT SOMETHING..."

Comic took his sunglasses off, hooking them on the collar of his shirt. "what?" he asked.

Blue hesitated. "ABOUT EARLIER... YOU WERE..." Blue shifted, looking down at the towel. "YOU WERE VERY UPSET. AND SCARED. I- I KNOW THAT MAYBE IT ISN'T MY BUSINESS, BUT- DO YOU WANT TO TALK ABOUT IT??" Blue looked back up at him.

Comic looked back at Blue, his face unreadable. Blue held his breath, worried that perhaps he had pushed too hard, had made him uncomfortable. Then Comic let his shoulders slump, and his grin fell. "you wouldn't believe me if i told ya. and if you did, ya wouldn't be thanking me."

Blue steeled his resolve. "WHATEVER IT IS, I THINK YOU WOULD BENEFIT FROM TALKING TO SOMEONE ABOUT IT. THAT PERSON... DOESN'T HAVE TO BE ME, BUT IF YOU WANT IT TO BE, I AM HERE."

Comic's eye lights blew up a few sizes, then shrank back down to normal. He clenched his fists, then let them relax again. He sank down to sit again, cross legged, gripping his knees. "do you ever... get a sense of deja vu?"

That's how it began, how Comic began to explain, as best he could, what it was he had been through.

And Blue listened.

And Blue learned.

And Blue felt his SOUL flutter and ache and twist.

And Blue couldn't stop crying for the brave, patient monster that he had loved so much before, and only loved more now, knowing what he had suffered, what he had endured, with a smile.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AAAAAARG!!! I wanted to reach the ending already but it keeps slipping away, throwing fluff and cuteness to trip me up!
> 
> I am coming, you ending you, I won't stop until I reach you.
> 
> And we are getting closer.


	4. Crossing the Line

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Comic accidentally advances their relationship.  
> Blue is pleased.

Comic had done it. He had told Blue _everything_ that night. Looking into those eyes, hearing the earnestness in his voice, knowing that, if Comic wanted to continue their relationship, it would be unfair to let Blue stay in the dark on how broken he actually was, Comic just couldn't stay quiet anymore. So Comic told him everything, even the things that he hadn't told his own brother about.

He told him about the RESETs, about waking up in the Underground to relive the same few days over and over, about coming to know every minute detail so excruciatingly well that he couldn't bring himself to get out of bed. What was the point? He knew what would happen. Nothing changed except the human.

He told him about the human, who in some RUNs (what he had come to call the repeated loop of time), was a sweet and benevolent creature, intent on rescuing them all from the confines of the earth, eating and joking and laughing with him, becoming a treasured friend; who, at other times...

He told him about watching his brother die, over and over and over.

He told him about kneeling in Papyrus's dust; about clutching at the red-orange scarf that he always wore, and crying until he was certain he would fall down of a broken heart.

He told him about confronting the human, his friend, and seeing how they had been corrupted by a madness he couldn't begin to describe, corrupted by violence, devoid of the compassion that had once made them so wonderful; about looking at the human that he had shared bad laughs and good food, and seeing them covered from head to toe in the dust of his ( _of their_ ) friends and family; about begging them to see reason, even as they swung the knife that they had used to kill everyone he knew and loved.

He told him about how he killed the human, over and over and over; about the sound of bone breaking through bone; about the smell of magic searing and burning human flesh; about the sight of blood splattered across the Hall of Judgement, painting the yellow marble tiles red, red, _red_.

He told him about the golden light, which without fail would revive the human, whose eyes would burn red as the blood they had spilled in the hall that was again pristine; about the child's maniacal laughter, which would echo off the marble tiles; about the chasms of black that would sometimes replace their eyes and mouth, as if the void itself was leaking from inside them.

He told him about killing, over and over and over.

He told him about _dying_ , over and over and over.

Because no matter how hard he tried, how much he struggled, how many times he beat down the angel turned demon, he could not win. The human would just come back, and get closer, and closer, and closer, until eventually he would feel the searing pain of their knife biting through his bones. Until eventually he would sink to the floor, fighting back tears of frustration and anger and betrayal, and try to crawl away so that the human wouldn't have the satisfaction of seeing him dust, even as his his bones crumbled under him.

And then, suddenly, it was over. The Barrier was Broken, the RESETs stopped, and monsters reached the surface.

And nobody, absolutely nobody, remembered a _stars damned thing_ about any of it.

Nobody except him and the kid.

Comic even told Blue about the strange phenomenon he witnessed, about their being alternate duplicates of the monsters, and his theories on the multiverse and temporal anomalies (though he could see that part was going over Blue's head, so he skimmed over it).

Still, Comic told Blue _everything_.

He told him about how now he couldn't stand not knowing the time anymore, because if he didn't he might miss a sign that there had been a RESET or a LOAD; about how he couldn't even stand to look at Frisk anymore, not just because of what Frisk had done, but because of the guilt Comic felt for what _he_ had been forced to do to Frisk; about how he couldn't stand looking at his brother without his scarf on, because there was still a faint line in the bone of his vertebrae showing where the human had taken off his head over and over and over; about how Comic still bore the scar of his own death, a large slash transecting his sternum from his right shoulder to the bottom of his left ribs, as though the cut had been so deep even time itself had been powerless to heal it.

Comic knew the things he said sounded ridiculous, crazy even. He knew that nobody in their right mind should or would believe him. He knew he would have been better off constructing a more believable lie, a fabrication that explained his aversions in a more reasonable way. However, he couldn't bring himself to outright lie to Blue. So he told the truth, preparing himself for the repudiation he was certain would follow.

But when Comic looked back at Blue's face (he had been unable to look him in the eye as he admitted to everything) he didn't see the rejection, or the contempt, or any of the things he had expected to see. Blue didn't recoil from him, or tell him he needed professional help, or accuse him of lying.

Blue cried.

Blue threw himself into his arms and held him and kissed him and told him how sorry he was that Comic had to go through all of that _alone_.

A wall Comic hadn't known was built around his heart shattered, and he wept, clutching at Blue with a desperation he had forgotten he possessed. He cried: tears of sadness, tears of joy, tears of relief. He broke down into a quivering, sobbing mess, hiding his face against Blue's clavicle and cervical vertebrae, clinging to his ribs and scapulae. Blue held him, patient and caring, stroking the back of his skull as they rocked from side to side.

Comic wasn't alone anymore.

\-------

Time passed. After finally laying himself bare, Blue noticed Comic seemed happier, lighter. He joked more, but more importantly, he laughed more. Comic even started leaving messages on Blue's phone, so he could listen to them during his off time at work:

" _what did the phalanx say to the workaholic carpal? ya need to take a wrist!! heh heh._"

" _where do animals go when their tails fall off? heh... the retail store! heh heh!!_"

" _what do computers eat for a snack? heh heh... micro chips!! hah!_"

" _how is imitation like a plateau? heh... they're both the highest form of flattery! heh heh heh heh!!_"

" _what does a nosy pepper do? heh heh heh...! gets- heh heh- gets jalapeño business!!! hah hah hah heh heh!!!_"

" _whoever invented knock knock jokes should get a no bell prize!! hah hah!_"

" _why did the skeleton cross the road? heh heh, this is a good one. heh heh, you ready? to get to the body shop!!! hah hah heh heh heh!!_"

Blue saved them, going so far as to get extra memory chips so he could keep them all. Whenever he had a particularly bad day at work, he would find a quiet place and listen to them. Sometimes they even made him laugh.

He would have just called Comic in person, but Comic had been working harder lately, taking odd jobs here and there at odd hours. Blue wasn't sure what he actually did, other than sell hotdogs every other weekend, but Comic was taking his work seriously, and that in and of itself was a good enough reason to let it be.

They still had lunch together, when their schedules matched up (which was less frequently than Blue would have liked, but not so infrequently that he had a right to complain). Every day, Blue would take his lunch out to the park bench they had made theirs, and whenever he could, Comic showed up, a grin on his face and a joke on his tongue. _Stars,_ he could listen to him talk for hours. His voice was so steady, so smooth, so calming... and he was so clever.

Blue didn't realize it at first, but Comic was smart. Wicked smart. His wit made Undyne look like a clumsy intern, made even his own puzzle solving skills seem dull by comparison. Blue was certain that any problem Blue could find, any puzzle he could conceive, Comic could solve. And that excited him more than he cared to admit.

After meeting him at the beach, Alphys suggested inviting Comic to anime night (which was really more like slumber party night, because everyone came over to Undyne's big aparment and didn't leave until noon the next day). Blue had thought it was a fantastic idea, and had sent the invitational text immediately.

Comic had not been able to attend due to already having plans (mostly work), but he said he would be happy enough to join them when his schedule allowed.

It was two months before that happened.

Blue was practically vibrating. This would be the first time he and Comic would spend a whole night together (even if there would be other people around). He paced at the corner by Grillby's bar, the spot that he had agreed to meet Comic at. It had been over a week since they had seen each other in person, and he wasn't too proud to admit he was eager to see him again. Blue wrung his hands, feeling the chill of the night air. It was brisk and just on the side of biting, a sign that autumn was coming. That amazed Blue. He had met Comic in early spring.

"heya," that voice said from behind Blue, making him turn around. Comic grinned, shouldering a small knapsack. "did ya wait long?"

"NOT AT ALL!" Blue answered, rushing to embrace the monster, but ending up just pressing himself into Comic's chest, clinging to his cloths. He nuzzled into Comic's jacket. It had been washed recently, smelling faintly of something soapy and floral, but the scent of ketchup and beer and something musky was practically embedded in the fabric. Blue felt his SOUL quiver in delight: that smell made him feel safe, secure, _whole_. He had missed it.

Comic wrapped his free arm around Blue's shoulders, pressing his teeth against the top of Blue's head. "missed you too, blue..." he murmured, a thoughtful cadence woven in his velvet baritone. "but, hey, i won't be working so much anymore. i'm cutting back my hours hard, so, we could be seeing more of each other, if you want..."

"YOU MEAN IT?!" Blue looked up at him, excited by the prospect.

Comics eyelids lowered by a third, his eye lights fixed on him in that way that made Blue feel special. His smile grew wider. "yup."

Blue couldn't repress his squeal of delight. He threw his arms around the other's cervical vertebrae, pressing their frontal bones together. "YAY!!" He pulled away, smirking smugly to himself watching the faint blue dusting of light creep across Comic's maxilla. He took Comic's hand and pulled authoritatively, leading the way. "AND I THOUGH TONIGHT COULDN'T GET BETTER!!"

"heh, me too," Comic said softly, almost too much so for Blue to hear, as he let Blue guide him through the city.

It was an hour walk from Grillby's to Undyne's apartment building, which was in a good neighborhood. The place even had a doorman, and old guy with grey hair and a large belly who insisted that Blue wait to be buzzed in, even though Blue knew he had seen him come here repeatedly. He supposed he was just doing his job, but it still irked him.

Comic looked the guy up and down as they waited for Undyne to respond to their arrival. "nice monkey suit, bet it drives the girls _bananas_."

Blue snorted, clamping his teeth shut tight to repress the other unflattering noises that tried to surface. The bellhop stared bug eyed at Comic, unsure whether to take that as a compliment or an insult. Comic snickered.

Undyne's little light went off on the light board, signaling that they could come up. Blue saluted the bellhop and led Comic inside quickly before he could unleash any more jokes.

It was a short ride up to the 17th floor, where the fish monster's apartment was. Blue felt Comic tense beside him, his hand squeezing tighter in his grasp. Blue smiled reassuringly. After all, Comic had no reason to be nervous around his friends! The elevator opened, and Blue tugged gently, guiding the monster down the hall to the room. Blue knocked politely.

Alphys opened the door. "About time! Get in here, shrimps!" She said, grinning.

Blue pulled the still nervous Comic inside.

Alphys shut the door behind them. Following them into the livingroom, where Chara and Undyne were sitting, going through the VHS tapes and DVDs, trying to decide on where to start in their marathon. Blue grinned. He felt Comic tense harder, the hum of magic in his bones becoming stronger, more volatile. Blue squeezed, hoping that being so close to Chara wasn't too much. He looked, studying Comic carefully.

Comic stared hard at Chara, taking deliberate, slow breaths. His eye lights were soft, white, and very small, his grin strained. But he wasn't panicking. Comic took a long deep breath, winked at Blue, and took the next step in himself.

Blue smiled. Tonight was going to be alright.

It was going to be fun.

"so, where do i sit?" Comic asked, approaching the couch.

"OH, HOW ABOUT YOU TAKE THE END THERE? I CAN SIT NEXT TO YOU AND ALPHYS THAT WAY!" Blue suggested. Comic shrugged, jumping up onto the couch and settling against the arm, letting his bag down to the floor at his feet. He yawned, a gentle inhalation and exhalation of breath through his teeth, which he buffered with the back of one hand.

Blue sat up next to him, pressing a bit closer to his left side than was strictly necessary. He again felt the hum of his boyfriend's magic ( _STARS, it was STILL surreal, even after half a year of dating, to think that a guy as great as this was HIS and only HIS!_ ), again gentle and soft and even, with no sign of distress. Blue felt his SOUL flutter, that warmth taking over his bones as he nuzzled closer, wrapping himself in the smell of the monster he adored.

And his arm. Comic's arm was around his shoulders now. Blue relaxed into him, pressing the back of his left hand into Comic's palm, threading his phalanges through those of the arm now hanging from his clavicle. He looked up to see Comic's face, eyes lidded halfway, eye lights blown out to twice their usual size, that big goofy grin turned up with a relaxed ease as a thin dust of blue light shined through the bone around his nasal cavity. As he watched, Blue felt Comic's phalanges shift against his own, the ring and middle curling and uncurling in lazy strokes, kneading the proximal phalanx of his own ring finger thoughtfully, almost reverently. The dusting of light across Comic's maxilla grew stronger, stretching under his eye sockets, his grin widening as a twinkle of cyan lit his eye lights, changing them from simple circles to something else (something with a point at the bottom, the top being obscured by his lids thanks to the size) for the briefest moment. Blue felt a shock of something electric shoot from the base of his spine up to the bottom of his skull, leaving a pleasant tingle that at once was both fulfilling and left him wanting something more. He couldn't suppress a shiver, the fingers of his right hand digging into the cushion where it lay pinned between them. _How does he do that with just a look?!_

"Oh-em-gee, thats so cute..!" Undyne squealed quietly, tapping the tips of her webbed fingers together, softly but rapidly, as the fins on the side of her head wiggled in delight.

Comic's head swerved to look at her, his expression losing that affectionate softness as soon as his eyes left Blue, the lids of his sockets opening completely, his eye lights shrinking to their usual size as his grin fell a few degrees. Blue felt his grip on his hand tighten a fraction.

"I d-didn't even know you g-guys could do t-that!" Undyne continued, handing the agreed upon video to Chara, who got up and put it in the player.

"DO WHAT??" Blue asked, turning his own head to face her, but keeping Comic's face in his line of vision.

"Make your eyes change into those little heart shapes!" Alphys said, dropping down next to him. "Cute as all hell!"

Blue felt his magic rise to his face. He hadn't known he was making heart shapes. He'd never done them before that he knew of. He felt Comic tighten his grip more, curling his phalanges into Blue's metacarpals. Comic's face hardened for a split second, then relaxed again. Was that... jealousy? Why would Comic be jealous? Of what? Blue wanted to ask him, but didn't think this was the right time. He would have to remember to do so later.

Undyne and Chara took their places on the couch as the lights dimmed. The opening theme of Mew Mew Kissy Cutie 2 played into the near silence. Blue nuzzled back into his boyfriend ( _HIS BOYFRIEND STARS it still made him so unreasonably happy!!_ ), shifting his weight to be more comfortable.

Comic relaxed further, as if in response to Blue. His grip loosened, but didn't let go. Instead, Comic started running the tips of his distal phalanges along Blue's metacarpals. One of them slipped in between the bones, sliding along the inner surface. It sent a shiver through Blue, lighting his internal magic on fire, making him melt into his seat. He never touched that area, except to clean, and this was _so much different. STARS, how different it was!_ Blue's magic was thicker around his metacarpals, holding the bones at the correct angle while simultaneously keeping most substances out with an invisible force. Comic's fingers slid into that thicker magic, and strummed at it as though it were hundreds of little strings, making the bones of his hand tingle, sending tiny _distracting_ vibrations up his arm and into his SOUL. It made it very hard for Blue to concentrate on the movie, his vision unfocusing until the TV screen was nothing but fuzzy pink light, his head filling with a warm haze until the audio was nothing but white noise.

_He was so comfortable, and it felt so good, so relaxing, so right..._

Blue felt a pressure building in his chest, a warmth coiling in his SOUL, where the echoes of Comic's touch thrummed. Blue hooked his fingers around Comic's, shifting them slightly to the side so they all slid into that thicker magic that made up his palm. Comic's fingers froze, his arm going rigid. Blue swallowed a noise he instinctively knew he didn't want anyone to hear, putting a gentle pressure on Comic's phalanges, silently encouraging him to resume. After a moment that was far to long for Blue's liking, Comic's fingers twitched, then eased into a steady rhythm. Blue sank in further against him, letting his eyes drift shut as he enjoyed the attention. That coiling pressure intensified over time, leaving Blue feeling breathless and a little shaken. He needed more, although more of what, he was uncertain. He couldn't think very well at the moment.

Then Comic's fingers not only stopped, but pulled away, twisting around Blue's quickly. Blue blinked, and realized the movie had ended.

"Ugh! That ending gets me every time!" Alphys said, rubbing the heal of her palm against her eyes. "Guess it got you too, huh Blue?" She asked.

Blue nodded, wiping at his face with his free hand. His thoughts came tumbling into his skull in a great mess, all of them demanding attention at once.

 _That was amazing._  
_It felt great!_  
_Was that suppose to happen?_  
_Let's do it again!!_  
_Maybe that's not something they should be doing in public..._  
_Who cares?_  
_Comic might._  
_Was Comic alright with that?_  
_Why were his thoughts avoiding giving it a name? He knew the name. He wasn't dumb. Why wasn't he just admitting to it?_  
_Because it's embarrassing and the minute he thinks it he's going to freak out._  
_Stars, but that was so nice..._

Blue forced the coiling pressure in his SOUL to subside (with great reluctance). He couldn't afford to lose his composure while he was with his friends.

"W-what did you think about it, C-Comic?" Undyne asked.

Comic, clearly much better at maintaining his composure (or perhaps it just didn't affect him as hard as it did Blue, which was understandable considering), smiled. "it was alright, but..." He paused. Blue looked up at him. There it was again, that intelligent spark, that smug grin. Comic had just thought of something. "...i thought the first one was better."

Undyne's reaction was immediate. She gapped, flushed, sputtered, then went on a loud and lengthy tirade about all the reasons Comic was _wrong_ and Mew Mew Kissie Cutie 1 was _utter garbage_ compared to Mew Mew Kissie Cutie 2. She pulled out a whiteboard on wheels, using diagrams and visuals which she pointed to using a spear she materialized in her hand.

And through it all, Comic sat there with a knowing smirk, and the glittering of triumph in his eye lights.

 _He KNEW!!_ He KNEW Undyne would react that way! He had said that on purpose just to goad her into her rant! But HOW? Blue stared at him, dumbstruck, until he remembered something: Comic had said that there were 'alternates' of everyone. Maybe, maybe he had met an alternate of Undyne? And she had reacted like that? And he was testing to see if maybe they had that in common?

Part of Blue was impressed. The other part wanted to shove his jerk of a boyfriend off the couch for being a smug little instigator. Blue settled on a compromised, snuggling closer into him and huffing with exasperation. This of course only make Comic chuckle, and flex his fingers to rub against Blue's.

Blue was satisfied with the exchange.

\-------

Comic managed to keep his eyes open for three more movies before he fell asleep. He had actually had very little sleep the past few months, surviving on power naps between shifts and clients. But that suited him just fine. He couldn't handle real sleep. Real sleep meant dreams, and dreams meant nightmares.

In the end, though, he always reached a point where the need for sleep could not be ignored. The last time was a few weeks ago. He had come home from his midnight shift at the gas station, and fallen face first onto his lumpy couch, not even bothering to take his shoes off.

The nightmare had been worse than any of the others.

He woke up screaming.

Papyrus had come running downstairs to see what was wrong, and found him curled up in the fetal position, sobbing uncontrollably. His brother had immediately pulled him into his lap, and hugged him, telling him how it would all be alright, because he was there and he wasn't leaving. Comic had clung to his younger brother's cotton pajamas, ashamed of worrying him so badly but too shaken to even try putting on a brave face. He had wished for the hundredth time that he could bring himself to move out, to live alone, just so Papyrus wouldn't have to see him like that anymore, but he couldn't. Papyrus had never lived on his own before, and Comic wasn't going to make him. Comic wasn't going to abandon him, after all he had made Papyrus put up with.

So when Comic had come to the gathering with Blue, he had told himself he would not fall sleep, because the last thing he wanted was to bother not only Blue, but Blue's friends, with his screaming at 3 AM.

But Comic _had_ fallen asleep, deeply to sleep.

And he did not have a nightmare.

For the first time in what felt like ages, _Comic slept through the night_...

And woke up to the fire alarm. Blue and Alphys had cooked breakfast. A breakfast of tacos, which Comic ate with a smile on his face, despite the inhuman horrors that they were. He noticed gold being passed around while Blue wasn't looking: apparently Undyne, Alphys, and Chara had made a bet on whether or not Comic would eat the meal. Chara, having inside information on it from Stretch, had won 20 gold. Comic thought it was somewhat rude, but he didn't say anything.

After breakfast, Comic and Blue headed out. Comic had expected to leave alone, but Blue insisted on walking him home.

For a while, their walk was silent, but then Blue coughed, clearing his throat. "ABOUT LAST NIGHT..."

Comic froze mid-step. _Oh shit. Last night._ He had messed up. Bad. He shouldn't have done that, it probably made Blue uncomfortable, and now he thought he was a creep and never wanted to see him again and-

"DO YOU... WANT TO COME OVER TONIGHT?? AND MAYBE DO IT AGAIN??" Blue asked in an uncharacteristically small ( _and hopeful? Was that hopeful? Or was he imagining it?_ ) voice.

Comic sucked in a breath. "you mean... to your place??"

Blue looked at his feet, a thick coating of cyan magic spreading over his face. "WELL PAPY IS STAYING WITH A FRIEND TONIGHT AND I'M NOT USED TO BEING ALONE AT HOME AND YOU SLEPT SO WELL AT UNDYNES THAT I THOUGHT MAYBE YOU MIGHT BE ABLE TO AT MY HOUSE TOO AND-"

"sure." Comic said, feeling his SOUL thrash in his chest. He was being invited over. _He was being invited over and Blue wasn't disgusted with him._ "lead the way."

Blue looked up at his face, his starry eyes dancing with delight. Comic's SOUL fluttered. "YOU MEAN IT??"

"why not?" Comic responded, unable and unwilling to wipe the goofy grin he could feel creep over his face. "i don't have work, and paps is spending today with his friends, so... i'm pretty much free." Comic shifted his phalanges against Blue's. "we could... spend the day together? if you're not busy either..?"

"I'M ABSOLUTELY NOT BUSY!!" Blue said insistently, vibrating with excitement that was mirrored in his eye lights. "LETS GO!!!" With that, Blue practically dragged Comic to the bus station, where they caught a ride to the edge of town, where the city became a suburb.

Where Blue's house was.

Where they would be alone. Together. In a private place.

Comic started to get nervous. Excited. Anxious. His SOUL swelled with conflicting, intense emotions, leaving him numb. Was this really a good idea? What if he did something wrong, and ruined it? It wasn't like he didn't WANT to get closer to Blue ( _Stars how he wanted to get closer!!_ ) but he didn't want to push Blue into anything he wasn't ready for. Blue was so sweet, he was totally the type to do something unpleasant if it meant making someone else happy, and the last thing Comic wanted was for time with him to be unpleasant to Blue.

Blue led him off the bus and down the street, making a few winding turns until they arrived at a two story house with large windows and a decorative wreath on the door. It reminded him of the house he and Papyrus had. Blue smiled and brought him inside, leading him to the big green couch.

Blue sat down, tugging gently so Comic would sit next to him.

There was an awkward silence.

"blue..." Comic scrambled to think of something to say, but his wit was failing him. How was he supposed to even broach this subject? They had been dating for half a year, and so far it's never come up. Sure, they had exchanged a chaste kiss here and there, they had held hands, they had hugged, they had cuddled under a blanket or two and watched the stars in the park... But now a line had been crossed, and there was no way to take it back. They HAD to talk about it.

"ITS OKAY." Blue said, smiling back at him. Comic felt all his insecurities, all his self doubt, all his fears and worries, wash away in the light of that smile.

_It was now or never._

Comic reached out, and, taking a gentle hold of Blue's skull, pulled it up and pressed his teeth to Blue's. He felt Blue press back, one of Blue's hands coming up to hold Comic's in place against his zygomatic. His eye lids drifting shut, Comic let his other hand wander, careful and slow, following the flow of Blue's magic with his fingertips down his mandible and under to brush against his cervical vertebrae. Blue shivered against him, a soft whimper escaping that lit Comic's magic on fire. He felt Blue's other hand come up and clutch at his shirt, tangling his phalanges in the material and pulling as though to will Comic closer. Comic pressed forward, his skull tilting until his frontal bone was flush with Blue's, their nasal cavities so close it was like sharing the same breath. Comic could smell, could taste, the magic that made up Blue's entire being, sweet and strong on the air. He let his wandering hand drip lower, sliding his thumb under the collar of Blue's shirt and stroking at his clavicle. He felt Blue's chest heave, his breath hitch.

Comic froze, uncertain if maybe he had misread Blue's signals. He cracked his eyes open. Blue's face was flushed with cyan light, his own eye lids hanging low, hiding the large pulsating hearts that thrummed in his sockets. Comic thumbed his zygomatic, nuzzling his skull. _Stars, he was so goddamn perfect..!_ And those hearts were for him. _Him and only him._ Comic's SOUL fluttered, his magic surging with warmth even stronger than it had last night. He knew he was grinning like a fool, but he didn't care. He was with Blue.

He was with Blue, and that made everything perfect.

Comic pressed forward more, tilting Blue back until he was laying flat on the couch, his head propped up on a pillow laying against the arm behind him. Comic pulled his skull away from Blue's, leaving a trail of reverent skeletal kisses down his neck and chest. Comic nuzzled his sternum through his shirt, listening to the rush of his magic in his bones, the thrum of his SOUL, like running water and the fizz of a carbonated drink. _It was so soothing, so peaceful..._

As he moved lower, Comic felt how nicely his ribcage fit in the space between Blue's ribs and pelvis, how warm and inviting the feel of Blue's magic flowing around his bones was. Just like last night, when his phalanges had dipped into Blue's palm, and he felt the unforgettable sensation of being enveloped by the manifestation of love, hope, and compassion. It had been exhilarating with just his fingers, but with his whole chest, it was _intoxicating_. All he could think about now was how good it felt, just being so close.

_He never wanted to move from this spot, ever again._

Comic closed his eyes again, losing himself in the comfortable thrumming, letting it wash through and around him as he sank into a stupor of pure bliss.

\-------

Blue smiled down at the skeleton laying on top of him. Comic had slowed to a halt in his explorations, sinking into a kind of trance that was both frustrating and endearing. Blue had hoped Comic wouldn't stop his attentions, but he couldn't be mad. Comic looked so peaceful, so serene, it made Blue's SOUL flutter. And Blue got the feeling that Comic desperately needed the rest.

So, despite the way his magic burned, and craved something Blue refused to give a name to (there would be a time for that kind of thing later), Blue reached down and stroked at Comic's skull, making tiny circles along the coronal suture. Comic let out a soft purr, the rumblings of it making his ribs vibrate against Blue's spine in a way that was completely unfair. Blue closed his eyes, continuing his ministrations to selfishly elicit the same result. Blue couldn't stop a satisfied smirk when he succeeded. Taking hold of one of Comic's limp hands, threading their phalanges together, he let out a happy sigh.

_He could stay like this forever._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> GAAAAAAH  
> The end again eludes me! So close! SO CLOSE! But not close enough.
> 
> Still... got some nice scenes in this little darling if I do say so myself.


	5. The Ring

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which a lot of emotional things happen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The title is a pun.  
> That makes me happy.

Comic started spending the night at Blue's place... rather frequently after that night. Turns out that Stretch was out of the house most nights (having sleepovers with his own friends, the way Blue told it, although Comic noticed an uneasiness in his voice when Blue spoke of them). Over the next month, Stretch moved out of the house completely, leaving Blue to live alone.

Comic stayed over more frequently after that.

Blue even gave him a key, not knowing that Comic could just take a shortcut if he wanted (Comic hadn't told him about that particular power -- it wasn't that Comic didn't trust Blue, it was just that he was so used to keeping secrets, that by the time he realized he hadn't explained himself, it seemed irrelevant to make it known). Comic took that gift as an open invitation, and spent more and more of his nights in the home (and more often than not, embrace) of the starry eyed angel he had come to love so much.

Comic was careful to spend plenty of time with Papyrus, going out with him on errands and spending evenings with him watching TV, but when Paps went to bed, Comic would snap his fingers and show up at Blue's door. He didn't love Papyrus any less (not at all -- Comic was devoted to his brother's well being in every conceivable way!), but Comic had discovered a very important detail after those first two nights sleeping close to Blue:

With Blue, he no longer had nightmares.

So that was Comic's routine: get up, have breakfast with Blue; pop back home, ride with Papyrus to work; do his job with as little actual effort as possible; catch a ride home with Papyrus, and have dinner with him; pop back to Blue's, and find himself a good night's sleep. Comic became intimately familiar with Blue's schedule, making certain his night shifts at the gas station coincided with Blue's night shifts. When that wasn't possible, Comic would go home to Papyrus, but he wouldn't sleep.

He couldn't sleep without Blue anymore, because when he did, the nightmares were so much worse.

Now, he didn't just relive his own personal groundhog day: the feeling of warm blood running over his bones as a tiny body spasmed in its last shuddering throws before death; the bite of a knife slicing though his sternum, leaving him to crumble into dust as a child cackled; the loss of his brother, of kneeling in dust, of clutching at a red scarf as the icy wind howled over his anguished sobs and his SOUL all but shattered from the pain.

Now, he knelt under a starless night sky, in the dewy grass of the park, or on a rocky outcropping by the shore, or under the lights of a ferris wheel; now, he heard his strangled cries pierce clearly over the cries of crickets and cicadas, or the gentle break of the ocean tide, or the sound of a carnival ride playing its haunting melody; now, when he knelt in a pile of grey dust, it was not a red scarf he pulled from it:

_It was a blue bandanna._

_**Now there was someone else that the demon could take from him.** _

Comic would wake up screaming, and even Papyrus would have trouble consoling him now. It took twice as long to still his shaking bones, twice as long to stem the flow of his tears. And when he had finally convinced his brother that all was well and he should return to bed, Comic would pull out his phone and text Blue. And Comic would wait, his SOUL shaking and trembling and aching, unable to do anything but try and still his trembling hands and quiet the whimpers that he didn't want Papyrus to hear, until Blue responded.

Then Comic would almost start crying with relief, and he would spend the rest of the night doing everything in his power to stay awake (usually involving copious amounts of caffeine, which in his personal opinion was the most magical thing humans had ever conceived, Barrier included).

Comic made certain never to sleep without Blue present anymore.

Thankfully, sweet, adorable Blue was more than understanding about it. In fact, he seemed to encourage the sleeping. Comic would saunter into the house, and Blue would be on the couch, laying on his side watching NTT TV. Blue would hear the door open, see Comic, and give him this adorable sleepy smile, his eye lights springing to life briefly before settling back into something more subdued (but no less vibrant and beautiful). Then Blue would pat the couch, spread his arms out, wide and inviting, and Comic would practically dive into his chest.

Since that night, it was Comic's favorite position: nuzzling his skull into Blue's strong, sturdy ribs, nestling himself in the space right below them, and letting himself bathe in the magic that held Blue's body together. Blue would giggle, welcoming Comic in no uncertain terms, usually with a kiss to accompany the hug. For the first few weeks, Comic almost always went right to sleep, lulled into a rapturous daze by the proximity of Blue's magic and the gentle ministrations of his fingers on his skull.

But soon the day came that Comic caught up on all his missed rest, and while he was no less relaxed, laying there with Blue, he wasn't quite prepared to end his day. His thoughts began to wander, his hands began to itch, to want to explore. He started by stroking at Blue's ribs, over his thin nightshirt. It was easy enough: the flimsy cotton provided little resistance to Comic's wandering hands, allowing him to invade the spaces between the bone with relative ease. He felt the steady motions of Blue's breathing stutter, a squeak escaping into the air, breaking through the cheesy pop song playing from the TV. The hand on Comic's skull went still, clutching at him in surprise.

Comic propping himself up a bit to look his boyfriend ( _HIS BOYFRIEND, Blue was HIS and only HIS and STARS he was so fucking happy it was enough to make him burst!! He wanted to scream at everyone from the rooftops how fucking lucky he was because Blue! Was! His!_ ). Blue's eyes were jittering a little, tiny hearts gyrating in his sockets, his magic making a bright blue mist across his face. Comic felt his own magic warm. "sorry. did i startle ya?"

"Y-YES..!" Blue breathed, looking down at him. "I THOUGHT YOU WERE GOING TO SLEEP..."

Comic chuckled. "for once, i'm not tired." He shifted up more, getting on his knees, straddling Blue with his patella on either side of Blue's spine. He could still feel the soothing rush of Blue's magic around his legs, a phantom presence where the skeleton's abdomen would have been, sending delightful tingles through his bones. "no surprise there, though, right? you've been taking real good care of me, lately..."

"OF COURSE!" Blue agreed, a small amount of ( _well deserved, oh so well deserved_ ) pride in his voice. "I AM VERY GOOD AT WHAT I DO!"

"ya sure are..." Comic purred. He leaned forward, pressing his frontal bone to Blue's, lowering his voice to a gentle murmur. "maybe... it's time i took care of you?"

Blue's eyes lit up further, his eye lights swelling to twice their previous size, the cyan hearts pulsing excitedly as his megawatt smile returned in spades. Comic was glad he didn't strictly need air, but cause he forgot to breath. _That was the face of someone who had heard the magic words they had been waiting too long to hear. That was the face of someone who was just given a delightful surprise. That was the face of someone who wanted what they were just offered more than anything. And star damn it, but did it look good on Blue!!!_ He felt his SOUL shiver alarmingly hard, the sudden flood of heat and need almost enough to knock him over.

Blue wrapped his arms around Comic's cervical vertebrae, his eyelids drooping as one hand cupped the back of Comic's skull and held him close. "ABOUT TIME, LAZYBONES..!" He whispered, almost as breathlessly as Comic felt. "I WAS WONDERING HOW LONG I WAS GOING TO HAVE TO WAIT!"

Comic heard the quiver of long suppressed frustration, and felt a twinge of guilt. He pulled his skull down, nuzzling into Blue's cervical vertebrae, using his tongue to prod at the joints, one by one, pressing into the sensitive current of magic that coiled along the spine. "sorry. guess i've been pretty selfish, huh?"

"IT'S O-OKAY-!" Blue gasped, clutching at Comic's scapula now. "I F-FORGIVE YOU-!"

Comic smiled wider. _He was so lucky. Blue was so patient with him, so understanding, so forgiving. He was so wonderful. He had to show Blue just how wonderful he was, had to let him know how much he was appreciated, how much he was loved._ Comic kissed down, pushing Blue's shirt out of the way to expose his rib cage. Comic took a moment to appreciate the view: sparkling white bone, with nary a blemish, gleaming in the dim light. He ran his hand along Blue's sternum, making him shiver. Comic leaned down, nuzzling the bare bone as he left another trail of skeletal kisses.

Comic reached into Blue's chest cavity, purring at the sensation of dipping his hand into that dense, invisible mass of magic, the electrical charge running up his arm stronger and more enticing. Blue shivered, squirming a little, his breath becoming more shallow, quicker. Comic took his index finger and slowly, gently, ran it along the inner surface of Blue's sternum. The magic clung thick to the bone, feeling like the rind of a hollowed melon, only laced with pleasurable electricity. Blue arched his spine, throwing his head back and keening desperately as he grabbed at Comic's other arm. Comic threaded his fingers into Blue's, pinning his back into the couch, keeping it out of the way while at the same time maintaining his balance.

Blue's other hand had crept up to cover his face, clutching at his teeth in a futile effort to muffle the noises that still slipped though them. Comic purred, finding he enjoyed those noises. He again ran his finger along the sensitive underside of Blue's sternum, this time paying special attention to the transverse junction (magic always condensed around the joints, even the rarely used ones). Blue's voice got louder, his whole body jerking in time with Comic's gentle strumming. Comic felt the warmth in his SOUL building, listening to Blue practically singing as he played him like a harp.

"COMIC-!" Blue panted, reaching out with the hand not held in Comic's own, cupping his jaw and tugging him insistently closer. Comic pulled his arm from Blue's ribcage, leaning closer and following Blue's guiding hand up to bring them into a kiss. Comic wrapped the arm, now dripping with cyan ectoplasmic residue, around Blue's skull and held him, basking in the intimate moment, when he could feel the love, hope, and compassion not only in the flow of magic swirling around his legs, but in the motions of the monster beneath him; in the way his fingers curled behind his jaw and trailed down the spines of his neck, in the way his chest heaved, brushing against his own, in the way he pressed his face against Comic's, finding the angle that would allow the most surface contact because he wanted to feel him as badly as Comic did.

Comic felt the warmth in his chest building, so strong and insistent he was certain his SOUL would burst into a thousand pieces. _He wanted this so much. He wanted HIM so much. He wanted him to be happy, so, so much. He wanted it so much it hurt._

Then there was a flash of white light. Blue's gaze drifted from his to something above them, and his expression became one of wonder and awe. Comic pulled up, letting go of both Blue's hand and his head, straightening his back and tilting his head up to investigate.

Two inverted hearts were floating above them, circling each other. Comic recognized his own SOUL, an off white little thing lined in a dull grey, emitting a pale blue light that matched his jacket. The other was a pristine, snowy white, outlined in sparkling silver, emitting a neon cyan light more brilliant and captivating than any he had ever seen.

_Blue's SOUL..!_

Comic looked up at them, then down at Blue. Blue's face was still flushed, his eye lights as brilliant and beautiful as ever. He smiled, subdued by his normal standards, but sweet and understanding and no less lovely. "I TRUST YOU," he said, his voice still shaking from their activities.

Comic felt himself shiver, his SOUL throbbing visibly just overhead. He reached out, tentatively, carefully, and coaxed the two delicate organs down to the space between them, within easy reach for Blue. Comic then _carefully (STARS do it carefully!!)_ wrapped his hands around the cyan glow, looking at Blue one more time for conformation before making first physical contact.

And felt the emotions break into him like a tidal wave.

 **Love. Hope. Love. Patience. Love. Compassion. Hope. Love. Trust. Hope. Love. Compassion. Love.** _So much hope. So much love. Love for HIM! STARS so much Love! How can something so small have so much love?_ Comic felt himself start to cry. He had no idea how much, how strong, Blue really felt. He had never dared to hope. His SOUL swelled, throbbing and burning with more happiness than he had felt in what to him had been an eternity.

 **Patience. Understanding. Mercy. Hope. Love. Love. Love.** _So much love. Enough to drown in. Enough to live off of forever. Such a perfect creature, you deserve every happiness._ Comic thumbed the soft, tender membrane of the organ in his hands, gently kneading the fleshy magic. It quivered under his touch, pulsing faster, stronger. Below him, Blue shook loud enough to make his bones rattle, his whimpers going higher in pitch, his eye lights rolling in the back of his skull as his jaw fell open.

 **Pleasure. Comfort. Satisfaction. Trust. Pleasure. Happiness. Trust. Happiness.** _Yes, feel good, be happy, that's all I want. You deserve all of it, everything._ Comic put a little more pressure into his work, using the slick ectoplasm now leaking from the tiny pores to smooth the friction. **Pleasure. Pleasure. Pleasure. Joy.** Comic heard Blue's gasp, then a moan. There was a wet, squelching sound, and Comic's hands were suddenly drenched, dripping with liquefied magic, silver and cyan ooze bursting from Blue's SOUL, trickling around Comic's bones and splashing to the cushions below, some of it landing on Blue's spine, where it lay glittering with its own light. _Did he-? Stars he did-!_ Comic shivered, the heat in his own body rising exponentially.

 **Fatigue. Happiness. Love. Love. Fatigue. Love. Embarrassment.** _You've no reason to be embarrassed. You're beautiful._ Comic brought the still quivering, wet mass to his teeth, letting his tongue run along it, cleaning it of the magical residue. _Stars, he even tasted amazing!_ Blue's voice broke over him, sending laces of electric fire through his SOUL. **Pleasure. Pleasure. Happiness. Trust. Love. Love.** _I love you too. So much._ **Resolve. Desire. Worry. Confusion. Fear.** _No, no, no, why was he afraid, don't be afraid!!_ **Hesitation. Self-doubt.** _Stop that, you're perfect!!_

"COMIC..?" Blue's voice broke him out of his trance. Comic looked up. Blue's hand was hovering, just short of touching Comic's SOUL. "C-CAN I..?"

Comic sucked in a breath. He hesitated, uncertain. He trusted Blue, completely, without question. But what if Blue found something in there, felt something, that made him dislike Comic?

Comic ground his teeth. No. Blue had trusted him in the most intimate way possible. Blue had given himself freely, without asking for anything. Comic could not, _would not_ , allow his own self consciousness to prevent him from giving Blue the same. He nodded.

Blue hesitated a moment longer, then, carefully, almost with reverence, took hold of the culmination of Comic's entire being in his hands. Comic felt like he was being held, enveloped in something warm and safe and caring, protected and loved and _oh stars it's like being submerged in a sea made of everything wonderful in the world, please, please don't let go, don't ever let go, STARS, don't stop, don't stop, **don't stop**..!_ He threw his head back, closing his eyes as he bit back a loud, mewling cry that reverberated through his entire body.

 **Happiness. Awe. Love. Love. Love. Desire. Pity. Pain. Sorrow. Love. Love. Love. Resolve.** Comic's head swam with too much information at once. Blue's SOUL was pumping him full of love and understanding and acceptance and _he knew, he knew everything, he could feel it, see it, taste it, everything that Comic had ever been or will ever be was right fucking there in Blue's hands and **he still loved him** , oh stars!!_

At the same time, Blue was doing... something (it was hard to tell what, exactly, SOULs didn't translate textile sensations in exactly the same way as the body did) that was distracting and wonderful and _so, so good._ It was driving him crazy! Comic thought he would melt from the heat of his own magic, the electrical tingle that had been running through him for so long now like lightning that would surely burn him alive. Comic distantly heard his own voice, now completely out of his control. An agonizing, tantalizing pressure built inside him, coiling tighter and tighter, until he was certain something would snap-

And then Blue did something, something warm and soft and hard all at once, that sent an electrifying wave through Comic's entire being. Suddenly Comic's whole world dissolved in a chaotic mess of pleasure and light and warmth.

He saw stars in a whole new way.

**Happiness. Love. Desire. Love. Hope. Satisfaction. Love. Love. Love.**

Comic started to waver, dizzy from all the stimulation. He shifted his grip on Blue's SOUL to something one handed, slumping forward and only just catching himself with his free arm in the cushions by Blue's head. He shuddered, still riding the throws of ecstasy beyond imagining, gasping for air he did not need as sweat slicked off of his trembling bones, soaking his clothes which felt all too heavy and constrictive.

Blue carefully returned Comic's SOUL to his body, pressing it carefully into his chest until it was absorbed. Comic, loosened his grip on Blue's SOUL, letting it drift from his hand and settle as it pleased. He was too disoriented at the moment to actively return it.

After a moment, Blue shifted under him, wrapping Comic in his arms and pulling him to the side, snuggly between Blue and the back of the couch. Comic purred, nuzzling into Blue's chest, shifting and slithering until he was once again in his favorite position, snug in the niche of Blue's abdominal region, his arms around Blue's spine and his fingers lacing through Blue's lower ribs.

Blue's hands, now slick with something Comic didn't have the mental faculties to identify, clutched at the back of Comic's skull and the space between his scapulae, his fingers threaded around the spines of his vertebrae. Comic purred, nuzzling closer, lethargy hitting him now that the adrenaline rush was wearing off. He blinked, shifting his head up, wanting to get one last look at Blue before he sank into oblivion.

Blue was looking back, his bright starry eye sockets filled to the brim with large blue hearts, his cheek bones shining with fuzzy cyan light, a smug, satisfied grin stretching across his face. Comic smiled back, closing his eye lids again and resuming his comfortable position.

_What had he done to deserve this kind of happiness?_

\-------

Comic spent the next few weeks preparing. He had to be certain that everything was perfect. He went all around town, procuring the necessary items, although the most important one had been burning a hole in his pocket for over 2 months. He got candles. He got wine glasses. He got a bottle of that fancy high-end wine he once heard Blue admire in a catalogue (that had been pricy, but it wasn't so bad he couldn't manage. Just a few weeks of abstaining from Grillby's again). He got a CD player and CD of cheesy romantic violin music, just like in those sickening, badly written soap operas Blue watched every wednesday. He got a three layer cake with three different flavors, specially made by Muffet.

He was going to do it. He was going to ask him.

Blue got off at midnight that night. He went to work at around noon (not a particularly long shift, compared to some of the hours Blue had worked), which gave Comic more than enough time to set up his plan. As soon as Blue left, Comic started cleaning (Paps would be so proud!) Blue's livingroom, removing stains and sweeping away the dust. Comic was already sweating by the end (he was a lazy guy, and this was more work than he usually put into anything), but he kept going, only stopping to check the time on his phone:

[ 1:17 PM ]

[ 2:41 PM ]

[ 3:06 PM ]

[ 4:32 PM ]

Comic sighed. The cleaning was done. How to pass the time? He took a long, relaxing bath, smiling as he thought about what tonight would bring. That killed a few hours. Next he tried watching TV for a while. After that could no longer hold his attention, he dug out an old joke book. He found a joke he had forgotten about, and couldn't help wanting to share, so he called Blue and left a message about it (although it was hard making the delivery, given how hard he was laughing). When he finished reading that, he switched to his quantum physics book. Not the most entertaining of pieces, but it killed time.

Which Comic hadn't checked in a while: [ 10:53 PM ]

 _Yikes._ He was cutting it close. Comic got up, and made the trip back to his and his brother's house to get the supplies. He brought them back to Blue's and set up what was intended to be a romantic evening. Candles (which he did not light, wanting to wait until Blue was there so he could show off with a little fire magic), music, cake, wine, and...

Comic pulled out the fuzzy velvet covered black box, opening it with a flick of his thumb. The ring. That was important. Sure, it wasn't a monster tradition, but it was a gesture he though Blue would appreciate. Blue always cried when he saw human-style proposals on TV. It was something that more and more monsters were beginning to adopt.

And Blue deserved it. He deserved everything Comic could give, and then some.

Comic smiled, closing the box and putting it back in his pocket. He checked the time again:

[ 11:42 PM ]

Almost time. Almost time now. Soon, Blue would be getting off his shift. He would catch a ride on the midnight bus, and then he would walk through that door...

And Comic would kneel down...

And he would hold out the ring...

_And... And..._

Comic checked the time again: [ 11:55 PM ]

_What would he say? Would he say yes? What if he didn't want-?!_

_What if..?_

No. Blue loved him. Blue loved him just as much as he loved Blue. Hadn't he seen, heard, _felt_ , the proof of that? Not once, but three times now?

Comic paced, trying to fight his nerves down. It would be fine. Blue loved him. He might say 'not now,' but surely he wouldn't say 'never'. Comic just had to be brave.

He checked the time again.

[ 11:07 PM ]

Comic felt his whole body go cold. _No, no, no, **no, no, no!!!!!** Not NOW not when he finally, finally-!!_ Comic felt himself start to shake, his legs giving out on him as he sank to the floor, holding himself. His vision blurred, blackness creeping in from the edges. _He couldn't lose them, he couldn't lose Papyrus again, he couldn't watch it happen, he couldn't lose-!!_

Then it hit him. _If everything RESET, then he would be Underground again. Underground, without Blue. Because Blue was from a different Universe. And even if they reached the surface again, there was no guarantee that whatever happened to bring Blue to this universe would happen again. **He would never see Blue again.**_

_**He would never see Blue again.** _

Something inside Comic broke. He was flooded with pain, terrible, soul-shattering pain. Then there was a familiar numbness, a familiar cold. He clutched at his ribs, tracing the proof left behind the last time he had felt this cold. He laughed, low and humorless.

_He really would never see Blue again._

\-------

Blue paced up and down the halls, unable to work off his energy. He didn't have anything to do at this point. Stepping into the breakroom, Blue pulled his phone out and played the recording from earlier that day back:

" _why can't ya trust an atom? heh heh heh..! because- because they- they make up everything!!! ah hah hah hah hah heh heh heh heh!!!_"

Blue's near perpetual smile became more genuine. _Stars, his laughter was so beautiful!_ Blue played it back again, leaning against the wall, one hand drifting up to his clavicle, thumbing over the bone through his scrubs as he thought about what Comic's face looked like when he was leaving the message. Probably dusted over with that gentle sky blue of his, grin splitting his face wickedly, knowing stars-damned well how it made him feel when he did that.

Just like he knew what he was doing that first, wonderful, magical night, that they shared everything with each other.

Blue shivered, his SOUL spasming in his chest just from the memory. It had been everything Blue had hoped it would have been, and so, so much more. Comic's SOUL had been beautiful, the color of white marble, outlined in shining steel, glowing with the blue of a clear midday sky. It had exuded the beauty of nature while holding a modicum of strength, displaying how he had survived all the sadness he had been unfairly subjected to. It was nothing at all like Blue's boring soul, which reminded him more of a tacky neon street sign, and spoke of nothing but frivolous ideals.

And Comic's hands had been so safe, so warm, so perfect, like they had been sculpted just to hold Blue's essence. He had never felt so complete, so fulfilled, as when he had been held like that. _It had felt so good, so right, like the universe had been set in motion and the earth spun and the sun shined just to create that One. Perfect. Moment._ He hadn't wanted him to let go.

And then Comic had trusted him, trusted _him_ , with HIS SOUL. And Blue couldn't believe it. It had looked so strong, so solid, but had felt so soft, so tender and vulnerable. There had been so much fear, so much pain, so much sadness and longing, and _so little hope (STARS how did he live this long with so little hope?!?!?!?!)_ , it had brought Blue to tears. But there had been so much love, so very much of it, and so much of it had been _for him_. Blue had wanted nothing more in the world right then than to fill that tender, fragile manifestation of the man he adored with all the happiness and pleasure and love he could muster.

He had realized right then how fragile Comic really was, how easy it would be to break him, how little it would take to shake him to his core and tear him apart.

And he had realized just how much he liked hearing Comic say his name like that, in that voice so full of want and love and need. It was a voice meant only for _him_ to hear, a voice only _his name_ would be spoken with ( _his and only his_ ). He could still hear it, if he closed his eyes and-

"What are you still doing here?" A voice asked, bringing Blue sharply from his daydreaming. It was his supervisor.

"I'M WAITING FOR SOMETHING TO DO..." Blue admitted.

"No, I mean, why are you still at work? Your shift ended half an hour ago."

Blue looked at the time. It was 11:32. He looked back up, confused. "NO IT DIDN'T, MY SHIFT ENDS AT MIDNIGHT..."

"You had a 12-hour shift. That doesn't change just because of Daylight Savings time," His supervisor chided. "We can't keep paying you all these hours! Go home! You work too much! And thats saying something!!"

Blue froze. _Daylight Savings time!_ He had forgotten. He had forgotten all about it! It had been a few years since he came to the Surface, and it wasn't his first time going through it, but it was such a new concept that he simply hadn't thought about it. Daylight savings... when they set the clocks back...

_Comic._

Blue ran down the hall, dialing frantically as he bounded down the stairs. "C'MON. C'MON. ANSWER. ANSWER!!"

Comic didn't answer.

Blue tried again as he jumped from the last stair on the ground floor and raced though the front doors.

He tried again as he bypassed the bus entirely, opting to run down the abandoned streets.

He tried again as he ran though the park, breaking through the bushes, vaulting over fences, trespassing to cut his travel time as he raced to get home.

He tried again as he slowed to a stop in front of his door, panting and heaving, clutching his phone to his skull in a hand that now shook so violently he feared he couldn't be able to keep his grip.

He opened the door.

He stepped inside.

He did drop the phone.

Blue felt moisture slide down his cheek as he stared at the carpet, jaw hanging uselessly open. He took one shaky step, then another, approaching what he hoped and prayed was not what it seemed. He sank to his knees, throwing up clouds of sparkling grey granules that clung to his cloths. He forced his shaking hands into the pile of dust, and pulled up Comic's ratty blue jacket.

There was a thump as something fell out of one of the pockets and hit the floor.

Blue looked, desperate for a distraction from the waves of grief trying to bring him under.

It was a little black box.

Blue reached out, opening it.

Inside glittered a beautiful diamond ring, cut in a starburst pattern, surrounded by sapphires and blue topaz, all set in a band of white gold.

The dam broke, and Blue collapsed into the pile of dust, clutching the clothing item that still smelled of the musk of his beloved to his face, sobbing and screaming his name, over and over, as his tears ran unabated.

_He would have said yes._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA *cough* HA HA HAHA HA~~~!!!
> 
> YOU SHOULD HAVE SEEN THIS COMING!!!  
> YOU SHOULD HAVE KNOWN!!!  
> The moment you saw this was written for CrushingOnSans, you should have known!!
> 
> ENJOY YOUR GIFT, CRUSH, YOU DIRTY SKELETON KILLER YOU!!!
> 
> Let me hear your cries of anguish in 3, 2, 1...
> 
> ==================================================
> 
> Okay, now that that's settled.
> 
> I enjoyed writing for this, and WILL be doing a sequel (or two), set in the same multiverse/universe.
> 
> If there are any ships you guys wanna see, let me know.  
> I already got a request for Rust.


End file.
